Slain charity worker a militant: Israel releases photo

TELE AVIV: The Israeli military released photos on Thursday that it says show a staffer with the aid group Doctors Without Borders wearing military fatigues at a gathering of Gaza militants.

The military says that Fadi al-Wadiya, who was killed in an airstrike earlier this week, was a "significant operative" in the Islamic Jihad group and was involved in its rocket program.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, did not respond to a request for comment on the photos, which were released late on Wednesday. The aid group said earlier that it had no indication he was a militant.


Israeli solidier killed, 16 wounded
The Israeli military says a soldier was killed and 16 others were wounded during a military operation in the West Bank overnight. It said Thursday that an explosive device detonated in the area of the northern city of Jenin, which has seen frequent raids and gunbattles with militants in recent years.

There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties.

'Could send Lebanon back to Stone Age'
Israel launched air strikes on Gaza Thursday after warning Hezbollah, Hamas's ally in Lebanon, to avoid a large-scale war that would send the neighbouring country "back to the Stone Age". Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made the comment during a visit to Washington, where he discussed the Gaza war, long-running efforts toward a truce, and ways to avoid a wider regional conflagration.

As cross-border tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have risen, Gallant stressed that "we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario".