ISIS suicide bomber in Gaza kills and wounds Hamas officials

An ISIS-affiliated bomber blew himself up, killing and wounding Hamas officials in Gaza. 

A suicide bomber blew himself up when Hamas security officers at a border crossing in Gaza tried to stop him from infiltrating into Egypt. The explosion killed one Hamas official and wounded several others.

Gaza’s Interior Ministry said that the assailant died and a companion was injured. One of the people wounded was reportedly in serious condition.

Palestinian media identified the dead victim as Nadal Jaafri, a member of Hamas’ military wing as well as a border crossing official.

The Bomber’s family issued a statement condemning what he did, offering condolences to the security officer’s family and refusing to hold mourning observances.

The bombing early Thursday is the first time that a Palestinian has set off a suicide bomb against Hamas forces. Officials say he is believed to be a member of a Salafist group tied to the Islamic State (ISIS).

Hamas has long been accused by the government in neighboring Egypt of aiding the Islamic insurgency in Egypt’s restive North Sinai region.

In recent months, Hamas has beefed up security along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, seeking to assure Cairo that it is fighting ISIS sympathizers.

By: World Israel News Staff and AP