A senior Hamas leader was killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City on Thursday night, Palestinian security sources reported.

An Israeli pilotless drone plane fired two missiles on the car, which was driving on the road of Salah eldein eastern Gaza City, killing Adnan al Ghoul, 47, a senior leader of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement, and Emad Abbas, a 30-year-old commander.

Four other people were critically wounded in the attack, witnesses said.

An earlier report said that the two killed were from Saraya al quds, the military wing of Islamic Jihad (holy war).

Meanwhile, a spokesman of Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that two of its militants were assassinated.

Palestinian medics in the Gaza City hospital of al Shifaa confirmed that two Palestinians were killed and four other were critically injured when they arrived at the hospital.

Hamas threatens to revenge Israeli assassination of its leader

Islamic resistance movement Hamas threatened on Thursday night to revenge the assassination of one of its senior leaders in the Gaza City, saying the response will be "strict and severe".

Musheer al Masri, a spokesman of the movement, said that Israelis had delivered Hamas a tough strike by killing the senior leader Adnan al Ghoul and his fellow Emad Abbas.

Al Masri said in a statement that "the brigades and other Palestinian factions would have a severe response to the assassination operation, and the assassination will not pass without a punishment." 

He added the air strike will lead to big operations against Israeli soldiers, saying that the armed wing of the movement is responsible for planning and executing such operations.
 
Meanwhile, army sources in the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said that al Ghoul is responsible for the workshops that produce al Qassam rockets and arms for the movement.

Al ghoul and his fellow were driving in Salah El Dein road eastern Gaza city when an Israeli pilotless drone plane launched two missiles on their car. Four pedestrians were critically injured.

Witness said the car was completely burnt and destroyed.

After the assassination happened, a lot of Palestinians took to the streets in several areas in the Gaza Strip to hold demonstrations, condemning Israeli assassinating al Ghoul and demanding practical response to his assassination.

(Xinhua News Agency, October 22, 2004)