Israeli air strike in Gaza kills two

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/israel-air-strike-kills-two-gaza

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An Israeli air strike on the northern Gaza Strip killed two Palestinians and wounded two others last night, the emergency services in the Hamas-run enclave said. Emergency services chief Ashraf al-Qudra said that Musaad Alzaneen, a man in his early 20s, was killed in the raid near the town of Beit Hanoun.

He later added that Sharif Nasser, 31, had died of injuries sustained in the attack. The Israeli military spokesman's office said the target was a Palestinian "rocket-launching squad".

"Israel Air Force aircraft targeted terrorists preparing to launch rockets in the northern Gaza Strip," it said. "The mission was carried out in order to eliminate an imminent attack targeting civilian communities of southern Israel."

Israeli media had earlier reported a failed rocket attack, with the projectile apparently falling short and landing in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, an Israeli air strike destroyed a rocket launch site in Gaza which also represented "an imminent threat", the army said.

An increase in Israeli raids and Palestinian rocket attacks as well as border incidents has raised the possibility of a major new confrontation between Israel and Hamas.