Israel kills top militant in Gaza camp attack

Israeli forces attacked an Islamic Jihad camp in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing a commander of the Palestinian faction and four other militants, officials on both sides said.

The strike in Rafah, a town on Gaza's border with Egypt, followed a Palestinian rocket salvo on Thursday which landed deep in Israel but caused no casualties.

Islamic Jihad said an explosion in the training camp killed Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a munitions expert and one of its top commanders, as well as four comrades. An Islamic Jihad source said the dead may include senior figures other than Khalil.

"Those targeted were a group of leaders," the source said.

Doctors said two Palestinians were also wounded in the incident, during which witnesses reported Israeli helicopters overhead.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli military spokesperson confirmed there had been an attack but did not immediately elaborate.

Islamic Jihad, a sometime ally of Gaza's ruling Hamas, has chafed at recent efforts by the more powerful faction to impose de facto ceasefires with Israel.