BBC News with Gaenor Howells

An Israeli air strike in the Gaza strip has killed Ahmed Jabari, the military leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Mr Jabari was the most senior Hamas official to be targeted since Israel's military offensive on Gaza four years ago. Another Hamas official died alongside him when their car was blown up. Beyond, wing of Hamas said the air strike had opened the gates of hell. A Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu told the BBC Arabic the Palestinians would defend themselves. We'll not surrender, and we will not wave the white flag. Israelis will not see a white flag raised on any inch of the Palestinian territories. We'll keep confronting them and trying to stop such aggression. We see it is the right of the Palestinian people to defend its rights through the means it sees proper against such a blatant Israeli offensive.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military's prepared to broaden its operation against Hamas targets in Gaza, he added that Israel couldn't tolerate continued rocket attacks against its citizens. From Jerusalem here's Wyre Davies.

Israel says the killing of such a senior Hamas figure is the start of a limited operation in Gaza. This has, to some extent, been expected after militant fired hundreds of rockets from Gaza at the weekend. Over the years Israel has killed several senior Hamas figures in similar operations, including the movement founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 2004. Calling the targeted killing of Jabari a clear message to Hamas, Israel says its intention is for the violence in and around the Gaza Strip to end. But it must be anticipating in the short term at least, a violent and angry response from the militant organizations.