A leader of the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad has been killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City.

Khalid al-Dahduh, also known as Abu al-Walid, was killed on Wednesday when the vehicle in which he was travelling exploded in the strike.

He was the leader of the Al-Quds Brigades in the Gaza Strip.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Islamic Jihad, which boycotted a Palestinian general election last January in which its larger rival Hamas won a massive victory, has been behind the last six bombings in Israel.

Al-Dahduh's death brings to 4969 the number of people killed since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in 2000. Most of the victims have been Palestinian.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinians carry the body of Khaled al-Dahduh into the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. (AFP)