Gaza, October 17: An Israeli air strike killed aPalestinian militant in the northern Gaza Strip today when he and others attempted to launch a rocket or mortar shell towards Israel, the Israeli army and Palestinian medics said.
Palestinian medical officials at a Gaza hospital said the dead man had been identified as a member of the Islamic Jihad militant group.
”Men were targeted in an air strike after they were spotted preparing to fire a rocket or a mortar shell at Israel and we identified a hit,” said an Israeli military spokeswoman.
Israel often carries out strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.
The strikes generally target tunnels that militants use to smuggle in weapons from neighbouring Egypt.
It was the first killing in an Israeli attack on militants in the Gaza Strip since September 27. The Israeli military says militants have fired more than 165 rockets so far this year.
–UNI