Israel kills top Gaza militant and five others dead

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander, a top bombmaker and at least four other militants in the Gaza Strip on Monday, prompting the group to threaten suicide bombings within the Jewish state.

An Israeli air strike destroyed a car in Gaza City, killing commander Majed al-Harazeen and two other militants, the Islamic Jihad said.

The group's armed wing said in a statement: "The assassination of the general commander will open the door wide to a wave of martyrdom operations".

Hundreds of Islamic Jihad gunmen gathered in the streets and fired into the air after the attack.

A second Israeli attack killed three other Islamic Jihad militants, including the bombmaker, on the streets of Gaza City, the militant group said. An army spokeswoman said the attack was on militants preparing to fire rockets at Israel, but declined to give further details.

Initial reports said Harazeen survived the air strike, but the group later said he had died of his wounds.

Medical workers said the attack also wounded two bystanders.

An Israeli army spokeswoman accused Harazeen of organizing rocket attacks from Gaza on the Jewish state. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for most of the rocket attacks against Israel.

Palestinian officials said Harazeen was the most senior militant commander to be killed in an Israeli strike in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in more than a year.

The Islamic Jihad was one of the groups to claim responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed three Israelis in the southern city of Eilat in January.

Israel's military often carries out attacks against Gaza militants in what it says is an attempt to stop them from launching rockets and mortar bombs into southern Israel.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch, Editing by Myra MacDonald)