A 4-year-old Israeli child was killed by a mortar shell fired into the country from Gaza Friday, the military said, and five other Israelis were wounded in other rocket attacks. The strikes come as gunmen in Gaza executed 18 people it claimed were spies in an apparent attempt to plug security breaches a day after an Israeli airstrike killed three top Hamas military commanders.
The Israel Defense Forces identified the slain boy as Daniel Tregerman. Initially, the IDF said the mortar was fired from near a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school, but it later said the school was maintained as a shelter by Hamas, not the UNRWA. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office expressed his condolences and vowed that Hamas would pay a "heavy price."
Also Friday, gunmen executed 18 people, including some that were lined up against a wall and shot in front of an audience of hundreds, witnesses said. A note pinned on the wall said they had leaked information to Israel that was used to conduct airstrikes. Since the fighting began July 8 at least 2,092 Palestinians have died in the conflict. The boy’s killing brought Israel dead to 68, including 64 soldiers.
IN-DEPTH
- Hamas Admits to Kidnapping and Killing Israeli Teens
- Three Hamas Leaders Killed in Israeli Strike
- Israeli Strike Destroys Building, Killing Six
