Gaza City: An Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian militant and wounded another man at dawn today, according to the head of Gaza emergency services.

Dr Muawiya Hassanein identified the dead man as Hisham Abu Shomar, 23, and said the other man was in serious condition.

The armed wing of Hamas, the Islamist group which rules Gaza, said Abu Shomar was one of its fighters.

The Israeli army could not immediately comment on the incident.

Since the Islamist movement seized power in the impoverished coastal strip in June, Israel has carried out near daily raids and strikes aimed at halting Palestinian rocket attacks on communities near the border.

At least 451 people have been killed since Israel and the Palestinians relaunched formal peace talks at a US conference in November, most of them Gaza militants.
Source : PTI