In an emotional eulogy for a slain school principal, Yasser Arafat pledged Sunday to unfurl the Palestinian flag over Jerusalem.
In graffiti sprayed on Gaza City's walls, the Islamic extremist Hamas movement threatened to avenge the death of 40-year-old Osama al-Borno, shot Saturday near an Israeli roadblock under disputed circumstances."Is this your peace, oh Arafat? The peace of oppression, jails and assassinations?" chanted Hamas militants who joined thousands of mourners marching through Gaza's narrow streets.
Palestinian police and witnesses accused Israeli soldiers of shooting al-Borno at the Netzarim roadblock in the Gaza Strip as he was driving home with three friends from the Khan Younis area.
The roadblock is designed to protect an isolated Jewish settlement that remains near Gaza City despite the Palestinian autonomy established in the strip in May.
Palestinian Brig. Gen. Saeb al-Ajez told reporters the Israelis fired mistakenly at al-Borno "to cover the retreat of collaborators who had infiltrated into a Palestinian position." He admitted Palestinian police also opened fire at the alleged infiltrators but said he was certain they hadn't hit al-Borno's car.
The Israeli army suggested it was unclear who shot al-Borno. It said that both soldiers and Palestinian police opened fire at around the same time.
Al-Borno's funeral Sunday turned into a nationalist rally.
"I tell you that a pledge is a pledge . . . to carry on the march until one of our children hoists the Palestinian flag over Jerusalem, the fences of Jerusalem, the minarets of Jerusalem and churches of Jerusalem," Arafat told thousands of angry mourners gathered at the graveside.