(Previous Incident Code: ISPT070)

One man was killed in an alleged Israeli drone strike while riding a motorcycle in the central part of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, 15 May 2021.

Multiple sources have confirmed the death of Zaher Attia Muhammad Anbar, aged 37- 39, with the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Al Mezan and the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (MAITIC) reporting the event as a drone strike. Sources differ on the precise location of the strike, but suggest that it took place to the east of the al-Maghazi and al-Bureij refugee camps, which neighbour one another, between 13:00 and 14:30.

A tweet from @AmjadAm71123770 reported that Anbar was the owner of a farm. PCHR added that after he was killed, he was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah.

Anbar was from the Nuseirat refugee camp and was affiliated with Fatah, who published a mourning notice for the man. One other source also described Anbar as a member of the ‘Al Aqsa brigade’.

The IDF News Desk made the following statement at 20:27 the same day: “IDF locates and eliminates two Surface-to-Surface missile operatives belonging to the Islamic Jihad. A short while ago, IDF aircraft eliminated two Islamic Jihad Surface-to-Surface missile operatives located in Khan Yunis, and in the Meghazi refugee camp.” It is possible that this statement relates to the same strike event; in which case, the IDF’s opinion is that the man killed was affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF also posted a video of the strikes, although it is inconclusive.

All of the sources that identified a responsible party attributed the strikes to Israel.