The Israel Air Force on Thursday bombed a location in the southern Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian territory into Israel, wounding the targeted motorcyclist and seven children passersby, Palestinian hospital officials said.
The motorcyclist was in critical condition, officials at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis said.
It was reported that the raid struck Mohammed al-Sumeiri, a Hamas policeman, as he rode his motorcycle in the town of Khan Yunis, they said. Six schoolchildren passing by were also hit.
This was fifth Israeli air strike since a shaky cease-fire went into effect nearly two weeks ago.
The Israeli military later said that a second missile was fired into southern Israel from Gaza early on Thursday, but that no damage or injuries were caused.
The violence came as George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, prepared to head for talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, as part of a wider regional tour.
Earlier this week, Hamas leader, Ghazi Hamad, told The Associated Press that Hamas is ready to to negotiate a deal for a long-term truce with Israel as long as the borders of Gaza are opened to the rest of the world.
Hamad added: "We want to be part of the international community, I think Hamas has no interest now to increase the number of crises in Gaza or to challenge the world."
