Several Palestinians accused of helping Israel in assassinating Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi on April 17 have recently been apprehended, Palestinian intelligence officials revealed on Wednesday.

The officials in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security intelligence service in Gaza, who spoke in conditions of anonymity, disclosed the news at a press conference at their headquarters in the Gaza City.

They showed before journalists one Palestinian who was recently arrested and accused of being a collaborator with Israeli intelligence security service known as the "Shabak."

Rantisi was appointed as new Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip after Israel killed in an airstrike the founder and spiritual leader of the movement Sheikh Ahmed Yassin at predawn of March 22 in Gaza City.

After Yassin was assassinated, Israel pledged to continue targeting top Hamas leaders and listed the names of about 12 top leaders including Rantisi.

Rantisi was killed in the evening of April 17 when he was in a car together with two of his bodyguards.

The security officials said the detained Palestinian admitted that he collaborated with the "Shabak".

The man was allowed to speak to local reporters when asked how he became a collaborator and how did he help Israel in Rantisi's assassination.

The collaborator said that he and his father were conveying information to an Israeli Shabak security officer on where does Rantisi goes and where he usually hides.

The man, whose name was not allowed to be published, said he regretted what he did, advising all collaborators with Israel to regret and stop helping the Israelis in killing the Palestinians.  

Source: Xinhua