The Palestinian government led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) held Israel responsible for killing Jamal Abu Samhadana, a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), in southern Gaza Strip late Thursday night.

Israeli reconnaissance drones and Apache helicopters joined together an airstrike on a military training camp near the town of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip late Thursday night, killing Abu Samhadana and three others, witnesses and medics said.

They said that when Abu Samhadana was targeted, he was holding a meeting with other militants, members in the PRC armed wing known as Salah al-Dein Brigades in the training camp.

Ghazi Hamad, spokesman of the Hamas-led government told reporters after the airstrike that the Palestinian government mourns with sorrow and grieves the heroic leader and three others.

Hamad said that in addition of being the top leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Samhadana is also the General Inspector of the Hamas-led Ministry of Interior.

"The government condemns this criminal action and the bloody manner that the government of occupation is behaving against our people," said Hamad, adding the Israeli government continues murder and killing especially in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian government "reiterates that the Israeli government would be totally responsible for the outcome, the consequences and the reaction towards this crime and this awful massacre," warned the spokesman.

Source: Xinhua