Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called on Monday for an emergency meeting of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to discuss the Israeli assassination of Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas. -Xinhua/AFP

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called on Monday for an emergency meeting of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to discuss the Israeli assassination of Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas.

Arafat cancelled all his activities on Monday and called for the urgent meeting to be attended by the Palestinian leadership, including Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.

Qurei described earlier the assassination of Yassin as a "big, ugly and coward crime" by Israel against the prominent Palestinian militant leader.

"This crime carried out today aims at continuing the flow of bloodshed, and creating conflicts between Palestinians, but would only enhance their unity," Qurei said.

He warned that there would be mounting attacks against Israeli targets, while asking the Quartet Committee, which includes the United Nations, the United states, the European Union and Russia, to "stop underestimating Palestinian resistance and the Israeli insanity."

Israeli military Apache helicopters carried out an airstrike against Gaza City on Monday morning, killing Yassin and eight otherPalestinians.