Islamic Jihad fighter killed near Israel border

An Islamic Jihad fighter was killed on Wednesday near Gaza city in what was called by medics and family an Israeli drone strike.

"A Palestinian militant was killed by an Israeli drone in Shejaiyeh," Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry said referring to a district near the Israeli border with Gaza.

Qudra named the victim as Mohammad al-Ijlah, 32 and said his body had been torn apart by the blast.

Meanwhile, family sources told Agence France-Presse in the neighborhood said Ijlah was a militant from Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigade and was killed by a drone.

A statement from the group was issued to confirm that Ijlah was one of its members but said he had been killed “in a Zionist shelling” on the area.

However, the Israeli military denied to AFP carrying out any strike on Gaza and said its troops had not been involved in any other shooting incidents.

"We did not strike in Gaza today and we are unaware of any incident involving tanks or other shooting," a spokeswoman said.

A Palestinian youth shot by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip died of his wounds last week, with Israel's army saying soldiers opened fire to break up a violent demonstration by Palestinians.

A series of strikes in Gaza were carried out by Israeli war planes on Friday, shortly after a rocket from the besieged Palestinian territory struck the Jewish state.

The exchange of fire caused no damage or casualties.