Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Sunday that China strongly condemns the assassination of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi in an Israeli Defense Forces' security operation.

Kong said that China greatly worries about possible escalation of the existing tension between Israel and Palestine.

An Israeli helicopter missile hit Saturday the car of Rantisi in Gaza City and killed the Hamas leader.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2004)