This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22349692
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Gaza city: Israeli air strike kills Palestinian militant | Gaza city: Israeli air strike kills Palestinian militant |
(35 minutes later) | |
A Palestinian militant has been killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City. | A Palestinian militant has been killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City. |
Haytham al-Misshal, 29, was hit while riding a motorcycle. At least one other person was reportedly also injured. | |
A militant group which fired rockets at the southern Israeli city of Eilat two weeks ago said Misshal had been one of its members. | |
It is the first deadly air strike in Gaza since a ceasefire ended eight days of fighting between Israel and militants there in November. | |
The incident comes after a rise in violence across the Israeli-Gaza border in recent days. Militants have fired several rockets across the border into Israel and Israel has carried out air strikes, with neither causing injuries. | The incident comes after a rise in violence across the Israeli-Gaza border in recent days. Militants have fired several rockets across the border into Israel and Israel has carried out air strikes, with neither causing injuries. |
A spokesman for Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it considered the air strike and the killing of Misshal as "a serious violation of the ceasefire". | A spokesman for Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it considered the air strike and the killing of Misshal as "a serious violation of the ceasefire". |
An Israeli government official said the ceasefire was "based on mutual quiet". | |
"Attacks on Israel from Gaza are a breach of the ceasefire and Israel cannot be expected not to act". | |
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Misshal was a weapons expert who had made rockets and bombs for different militant groups. | |
It said Misshal had been involved in "extensive terror activity against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers", including the attack on Eilat, a popular tourist destination on Israel's southern Red Sea coast. | |
In that incident, two rockets fired from the Egyptian Sinai by Gaza-based militants landed in open areas, without causing damage or injury. | |
The Mujahedeen Shura Council said Misshal had been one of its members. | |
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Today, we took down one of those involved in the criminal act of firing rockets against the town of Eilat. I had said that we would not sit quietly while this happened, and this is a clear result of our policy." | |
Israel and militants in Gaza fought an eight-day war in November, which ended with both sides agreeing to desist from air strikes and rocket attacks. | Israel and militants in Gaza fought an eight-day war in November, which ended with both sides agreeing to desist from air strikes and rocket attacks. |
The truce has largely upheld since then, despite several incidents of cross-border fire. | The truce has largely upheld since then, despite several incidents of cross-border fire. |