[Ma'an] The body of a Palestinian was found in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday evening, an Israeli military source told Ma'an. Medics confirmed that a body was picked up shortly after the find. It was identified as Suleiman Arafat by medical officials in Gaza City.
Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency services, said that Arafat's body was transferred to the An-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis when a crew of medics found him Al-Faqqassa, east of A'basan.
Hassanein added that Suleiman was the brother of Hamdi Arafat, who died of wounds sustained in Friday's clashes with Israeli forces entering in the south of the coastal enclave.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, announced that Arafat was one of the fighters involved in the deadly clashes, the bloodiest since the end of Israel's Operation Cast Lead 14 months ago.
The movement had previously announced that the body of one of its combatants was missing following violent confrontations, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, as well as two Palestinian resistance fighters, and injuring dozens.
Several Israeli military vehicles crossed into southern Gaza hours earlier, reportedly opening fire as bulldozers destroyed land. Witnesses said the forces were predominantly targeting olive groves and almond fields in the Abasan Al-Jadida area east of Khan Younis.
An Israeli military spokesman said the incident was sparked when a force found an explosive device, which he said was detonated. On Saturday, the army reported destroying "terrorist infrastructure" in the same area, that was the site of Friday's clashes.