Israel assassinates Gazan on motorcycle on 3rd day

Israel assassinated a Gaza "fighter" on Wednesday as a surge of attacks across the border of the Palestinian enclave entered a third day despite what Egypt said were its efforts to broker a truce. Israeli air strike targeted the fighter, a Palestinian said to belong to a Salafi network, who died and a comrade was wounded in the air strike on their motorcycle in southern Rafah, near Gaza's frontier with the Egyptian Sinai, medical officials said. Israel accused the man assassinated of being involved in a raid on Monday from adjacent Sinai territory into the state, which killed an Israeli. Soldiers shot dead two men, who were later claimed by a newly formed Islamist movement, the "Shura Council of Mujahideen in the Holy Land". Palestinians fired at least 16 rockets into Israel on Wednesday, causing no casualties, the military said. Fighters from Gaza's ruling Hamas movement have joined in the barrages after months of staying on the sidelines. Since Monday, Israeli air strikes have killed 7 Palestinians. Cairo has brokered Gaza truces in the past and an Egyptian official said renewed mediation had secured agreement by Israel and Palestinian factions on Tuesday night. A Palestinian source accused the Israelis of violating the deal. Israel neither confirmed nor denied there was such deal.