A leading Palestinian terrorist behind recent rocket attacks on southern Israel was killed on Sunday in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City.

Hussan Khalil al-Hur, a senior member of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, had personally participated in a rocket attack earlier in the day in which three Israelis in the town of Sderot were wounded. He is said to have been the group's top rocket engineer.

Two members of al-Hur's cell were wounded in the pinpoint Israeli strike.

Islamic Jihad's allies in the ruling Hamas movement vowed to avenge their fellow terrorists.