Israeli airstrike hits Gaza bomb placers
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military carried out an airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday, targeting Palestinian militants placing explosives along the border and killing one of them, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
The Israeli military said its aircraft located the militants along Gaza’s northern border with Israel as they were planning to detonate an explosive device against Israeli troops on the other side. “Forces guarding the border with Gaza face a growing threat from hostile terror groups attempting to destabilize the situation on the ground,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 31-year-old man was killed in the airstrike, and three others were wounded. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah group, later identified the deceased as a member of the group, saying he was targeted while planting explosives.
In a separate statement, Salah Bardawil, an official from Gaza’s ruling Hamas group, said Israel was “playing with fire” in the airstrike. He did not elaborate.