Palestinian sources have reported that IDF forces killed a 28-year-old man in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya Thursday morning.
Saeed el-Atar was shot by IDF forces who had taken control of an area in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF has not yet commented on the incident.
The Palestinians said that el-Atar was taken to hospital with gun-shot wounds all over his body, but he died on arrival at the hospital.
This incident occurred after an overnight attack that injured several Palestinians, and just hours before a scheduled meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana.
The two plan to discuss the deterioration of the security status in the Strip. The Palestinians are scheduled to ask Solana that the EU help establish a ceasefire and then extend it to the West Bank.
The Palestinian factions have refused to commit to a renewed lull in Gaza if it was not mutual and did not include Israel and the West bank.
The IDF does not appear to be reducing its activities in the West Bank. Thursday night, 33 Hamas officials were arrested, including the Palestinian Authority education minister, Nasser al-Din Shaer, mayors and heads of four local councils and three members of the legislative branch.
The last time the IDF launched a similar operation was immediately after Gilad Shalit was kidnapped.