Gaza gunman wounded in Israeli air strike

IDF spokeswoman says aerial attack launched under cover of darkness against Gaza terrorists preparing to fire rocket into Israel.

By REUTERS
Hamas terrorists 311 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Hamas terrorists 311
(photo credit: REUTERS)
GAZA -  An IAF strike wounded a Palestinian gunman in the Gaza Strip before dawn on Saturday, medics in the territory said.
An IDF spokeswoman confirmed that an aerial attack was launched under cover of darkness against Gaza terrorists preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, from near  Gaza City. One gunman was injured, a rescue crew member in Gaza said.
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Israel has stepped up its air strikes on coastal Gaza this week in response to a resurgence in rocket strikes at Israeli towns that have caused no injury but disrupted routine.
The IDF said 16 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel this month some of which damaged buildings. Israel said it responded to shooting on Thursday with aerial strikes on tunnels dug beneath Gaza's border with Egypt.
Palestinians said Israel has fired 10 missiles at its gunmen this month, but the latest strike was the first to cause any injury.
Some media analysts see the renewed cross-border friction as possibly stemming from the latest snags in Hamas's efforts to reconcile with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, alongside failed Western attempts to renew stalled Middle East peace talks.