Palestinian sources reported on Wednesday evening that two Palestinians were killed and at least four others were wounded in an IDF strike in northern Gaza.

The IDF confirmed the attack was a joint operation with the Shin Bet to target senior Islamic Jihad operative Khaled Khareb Khaled Sha'alan – who the army said was involved in the firing of rockets towards Israel, including the attacks against Ashkelon in recent days.

According to the Palestinians, Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile towards a vehicle near a mosque in the town of Beit Lahiya. The two killed apparently belonged to the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad.

It is unclear if the four people wounded are bystanders or additional gunmen who were also passengers in the car. A Palestinian Health Ministry official said that five people were wounded and that all were bystanders.

According to the reports, the two Islamic Jihad gunmen leapt form the car upon hearing the aircraft nearing their location, but they were unable to flee in time.

The last attack in Gaza occurred several short hours after midnight Tuesday, when three smuggling tunnels were targeted in southern Gaza. The army confirmed the strikes, and said secondary explosions were observed in one of the strikes.

The bombing came as a response to the Qassam rocket and mortar shell fire towards Israel on Tuesday. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused in the incidents.

On Sunday seven Qassam rockets were fired into southern Israel. Another rocket was fired on Monday. On Saturday an advanced Qassam lightly wounded three people in Ashkelon.