IAF strike kills Hamas operative in Gaza

Hamas: Helicopter targeted 3 members by outpost near Khan Yunis; attack comes after mortar barrage.

IDF helicopter great 224 (photo credit: IDF)
IDF helicopter great 224
(photo credit: IDF)
A Hamas operative was killed and two others wounded when an IAF helicopter attacked a Hamas outpost in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Friday. In an official statement, Hamas reported that the IAF strike had targeted a car outside the outpost near Khan Yunis in which the three were riding. The IDF said that the attack was a response to the continued mortar attacks launched at southern Israel by cells operating from the Gaza Strip. Earlier Friday evening, four mortar shells were fired at an Israeli community north of Gaza. All landed in open territory, and no wounded or damage were reported. The IDF also carried out an attack against a mortar launching cell in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening, wounding one of the cell members. The attack came after eight mortar rounds had been fired at southern Israel. Yaakov Katz contributed to this report.