One Palestinian was killed and nine others wounded on Sunday in an Israeli air strike that targeted a motorbike in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources told AFP.

"One citizen was killed and five others, including two children, were wounded by an Israeli aircraft that fired on a motorbike in the Brazil neighbourhood in Rafah," a medical source at Rafah hospital told AFP, later updating the number of wounded to nine.

The Israeli military confirmed the strike, and in a statement said its aircraft "targeted Talaat Halil Muhammad Jarbi, (b. 1989), a Global Jihad operative from Rafah, and Abdullah Muhammad Hassan Maqawai (b. 1988), a member of the Ashura Council of the Martyrs of Jerusalem, a Gaza-based Global Jihad affiliate," a statement said.

According to the statement, Jarbi was long "involved in extensive terrorist activity, targeting Israeli civilian and security forces, including rocket firing, weapon manufacturing, and other terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip."

It said he was a "senior operative" involved in planning and carrying out an attack along the border security fence on June 18 in which an Israeli civilian was killed.

"He had also been planning a complex attack intended to take place along the Sinai border."

Palestinian eyewitnesses confirmed the names but corrected Jarbi to Dirbi.

One of the wounded, a man, was in serious condition, the medical source said.

Ship sails for Gaza from Naples to challenge blockade
Naples, Italy (AFP) Oct 06, 2012 - A Swedish ship with rights activists from several countries aboard sailed from Naples on Saturday in the latest bid to break Israel's blockade against Gaza.

A crowd of well-wishers saw off the sailing vessel Estelle as it left the Italian port as part of the "Freedom Flotilla" movement.

"We think it will take around two weeks to get to Gaza, but it will obviously also depend on the weather conditions," spokeswoman Ann Ighe said earlier.

The Estelle, whose voyage was organised by an international pro-Palestinian coalition, is carrying humanitarian goods to the Gaza Strip.

The 17 activists from around the world on board include passengers and crew from Canada, Israel, Norway, Sweden and the United States.

Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from entering the coastal territory, which is run by the Islamist movement Hamas.

The first Freedom Flotilla in May 2010 ended in tragedy when nine Turkish nationals were killed after Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, the lead ship, as it tried to break through the blockade.

"When people think of flotillas, they think of the Mavi Marmara. But the Estelle is very different, she was chosen to change the perception of the campaign, to show that it's a non-violent campaign," Ighe said.

At just 53 metres (173 feet) long, the Estelle is much smaller than the Marmara ferry, and has sails as well as an engine.

"It is a vessel that has travelled for Greenpeace protests and on fair-trade missions. The Estelle is a peaceful ship," Ighe said.

Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris said Friday on visiting the Estelle: "This is not an initiative in favour of Hamas but in favour of Palestine, of the Palestinians who live in Gaza, and in favour of two states living as neighbours in peace and security."

The Estelle set off originally from Sweden and arrived in the Gulf of Naples on Thursday after a tour of Europe, including Finland, France and Spain. Its exact location can be followed on the flotilla's Ship to Gaza website (http://shiptogaza.se).

A second attempt to break the blockade last summer with a coalition of ships setting sail from Athens failed after Greek authorities intercepted the boats, banning their departure and towing back into port those who tried to leave.

In November last year, the Israeli navy also intercepted two Irish and Canadian ships carrying 27 passengers and crew that were trying to breach the blockade in international waters off Gaza.