Ahmed al-Jaabari is most senior member of Palestinian group killed since Israeli invasion of Gaza four years ago, when Israel’s its three-week assault on the region left around 1,400 Palestinians dead.
Jaabari died when his car was struck in Gaza City by a missile, after Israel warned it may step up targeted assassinations, following a week of rocket fire from Gaza reports The Guardian.
Three other Palestinians are thought to have been killed.
Israeli military sources said the strike had been the result of “precise intelligence” gathered over a period of months. The Israeli air force carried out multiple air strikes on Wednesday, suggesting it had launched a continuing offensive.
Calls for revenge were broadcast in Gaza after the air strikes.
Update: IDF have released a video of the moment the car carrying al-Jaabari’s was hit with a precision missile.
Warning: Video contains scenes of violence and death
