Israel carried out a pinpoint strike on Palestinian terrorists from a radical Islamist group in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. One Palestinian was killed in the air strike and another wounded as they rode a motorbike in southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces launched the strike after receiving intelligence information from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
One of those targeted, Ahmed Said Ismail, 22, was behind the June 18 attack along the Israel-Egypt border in which Saed Fashafshe, 36, an Israeli Arab Defense Ministry contractor from Haifa and father of four, was killed.
Palestinian hospital officials said Ismail was critically wounded and a second man, Id Nadi Okhal, 19, was killed. Both were members of a radical Islamist group, Magles Shoura al-Mujahddin, which is among Salafi factions that are a fringe presence in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai said two were involved in the advanced stages of planning another attack, which was foiled by the air strike.
The operation was carried out just a few hours before Sunday’s attack on the Israel-Egypt border, in which at least 15 Egyptian policemen died, and eight terrorists were killed in the ensuing clashes with Israeli troops.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the IDF and the Shin Bet for the Gaza strike, saying, "Whoever intends to harm us needs to know that our long arm will reach him."