An Islamic Jihad militant was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a group of militants in northern Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, the group and medics said.

The Islamic Jihad armed wing Saraya al-Quds said in a statement sent to reporters that its militant named Yasser Faraj was killed near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia in the Israeli airstrike.

The group said Faraj was hit by an Israeli missile after he fired a barrage of rockets from northern Gaza Strip at southern Israel. No other injuries were reported.

Meanwhile, Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein said one Palestinian was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday morning near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia.

Israel has warned that it would carry out another large-scale military operation into the Gaza Strip if rockets attacks on its towns continue.

A 22-day Israeli military offensive on Gaza ended on Jan. 18 when the Jewish state and Gaza militants respectively announced unilateral cease-fires.

More than 1,300 Palestinians and 11 Israelis were killed, while thousands of houses, governmental and security buildings as well as infrastructure were destroyed in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Egypt failed to mediate a truce between Israel and Gaza militants after Israel rejected an 18-month-truce saying it would only accept a truce after the release of its captive soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza since 2006.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2009)