IAF strikes Gaza; Israel says member of Global Jihad wounded
Palestinian sources reported that IAF aircraft struck in central Gaza Strip after rocket fire towards Israel persisted through weekend
The Israel Air Force struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, wounding a motorcyclist who Israel said was a member of the Global Jihad.
Palestinian sources said that the man was seriously injured in the attack, which followed ongoing rocket fire from Gaza at southern Israel.
Israel named him as Abdullah Harti, 28, a Global Jihad activist and member of the Popular Resistance Committees.
The strike was a joint operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet domestic security service. According to Israel's defense establishment, Harti was involved in recent years in the promotion and execution of several attacks against Israel, both in the Gaza Strip and along the Israel-Sinai border.
Defense sources also said that he cooperated with Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, the Global Jihad organization in Sinai, which was involved in a massive deadly attack near Eilat in 2011, as well as several rocket launches towards Eilat, most recently in January.
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The Shin Bet further claimed that Harti was involved in transferring weapons to Global Jihad sources in Sinai, in order to advance attacks against Israelis and aid support the jihad forces in the region.
The IDF said the army and Shin Bet would respond with force to every attempt and execution of rocket fire at Israel, and that it continues to see Hamas as responsible for preventing such attacks.
Over the past several days, rocket fire from Gaza Strip towards Israel persisted. On Saturday, a rocket landed in Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, but no injuries or damage were reported. Another rocket was launched Thursday evening, and landed in an open field south of Ashkelon.
During the previous weekend, the IAF struck several Gaza targets, including two Hamas outposts in Gaza and Rafah, and another target in northern Gaza. Four people were injured in those strikes.
Yoav Zitun contributed to this report
