Palestine Liberation Organization chiefMahmoud Abbas on Tuesday canceled his participation in the funeral of eight Palestinians who were killed by Israeli tank shells in thenorthern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahya.

Palestinian sources close to the Fatah movement said that the cancellation came after Israeli helicopters hovered over the area and opened intensive heavy gunfire at the eastern part of the town.

Abbas later crossed the Erez crossing to head to the West Bank town of Ramallah for a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Earlier in the day, Abbas described Israel as "the Zionist enemy" in response to the death of eight Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahya.

Eight Palestinians, most of them children, were killed by Israeli tank shells Tuesday morning.

"we came here to ask mercy for our martyrs who were killed by shells of the Zionist enemy in Beit Lahya," Abbas told thousands of supporters who gathered in the town of Khan Yunis.

It was the first time that Abbas uttered such an expression to describe Israel.

"I came here with the legacy of late leader Yasser Arafat, and Ipromise you that I will carry forward his legacy," he said.

Abbas arrived in Khan Yunis as part of his campaign for the presidential election due to be held on Jan. 9.