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Palestinian killed in Israeli air strike in Gaza

Israeli army says it was targeting 'terror cell' attempting to plant a bomb near the border fence
Palestinians carry the body of Mousa Zuaiter killed by Israeli fire on 13 January 2016 (MEE/Mohammed Asad)

An Israeli air strike has killed one Palestinian man and injured three others in Beit Lahiya, a northern border town in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Channel 10 quoted the army as saying that they had targeted a "terror cell" on Wednesday morning which was trying to plant a bomb at the border fence.

“Israeli forces guarding the border with Gaza face a growing threat from hostile terror groups attempting to destabilise the situation on the ground,” said Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner.

The operation was carried out based on information obtained by the Israeli intelligence service, Shin Bet, of an imminent Palestinian attack.

The man killed was identified as Mousa Zuaiter, 31. He was identified by al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade as one of its members.

Locals said that the air strike struck a beach area 1km from the Israeli border fence.

The Israeli army announced the area a closed military zone after the attack and warned its citizens to stay away.

Since the beginning of October, more than 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the latest escalation. The majority of those killed are in the West Bank, with Israeli forces identifying 91 as attackers. More than 20 were killed in Gaza for protesting near the border.

In the same period, 24 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks.

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