Car after IAF attack
Photo: AFP
Palestinian sources reported that at least three people were killed in an IDF attack in the central Gaza Strip Thursday.
According to the report, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car carrying operatives of the al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's military wing. Omar el-Khatib, a senior member in the organization was reportedly killed in the attack.
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Senior Islamic Jihad sources told Ynet that el-Khatib was behind the attempt to attack the Kissufim crossing last month and also oversaw the recent capture of a Palestinian who was suspected of collaborating with Israel. The man, Fadel Dahamsh, died in a Gaza prison after being tortured by members of Hamas’ special security force.
A number of top Islamic Jihad commanders have been killed in Gaza over the past few months, including Raad Fanuneh, who found his death in an Israel Air Force attack on a vehicle in Gaza City in late June.
On Tuesday a missile was fired near a house in which el-Khatib was staying, but the IDF denied having attempted to assassinate the senior Jihad operative.
The group claimed that prior to the attack el-Khatib received a call from an Israeli cell phone, and as soon as he answered the missile was fired.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report