An Israeli air strike killed at least one Palestinian and wounded two in the northern Gaza Strip late on Tuesday, Palestinian medics told AFP. They named the dead man as Abdallah al-Telbani, 22, and said he was riding in a motorised rickshaw in Jabaliya refugee camp when the attack took place. It was not immediately clear if the other casualties were riding in the vehicle with him.
Israeli public radio said the dead man was a member of Islamic Jihad. An Israeli military statement said the target was "a squad affiliated with recent terror activity." "The Israel Defence Forces will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and...soldiers, and will operate against anyone who uses terror against the State of Israel," it said, without elaborating. The strike took place on the third anniversary of the start of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's devastating 22-day offensive against the Hamas-ruled coastal strip and came as the militant group and its Fatah rivals sought to implement a reconciliation deal.
Since 2007, the Palestinian territories have been politically divided into two separate territories, with the Fatah of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas largely ruling the West Bank and Hamas governing Gaza.
In May, following years of bitter rivalry, the two factions signed a unity agreement which has yet to be implemented.