One Palestinian was killed and another seriously injured early on Thursday in an Israeli airstrike against an observation point east of Gaza City.

The man killed was identified as Mohammad Hijila and confirmed to be a Hamas militant manning the observation checkpoint when it was hit, Palestinian media reported, citing security forces.

Hamas fighters were shooting at the Israeli jet without causing it any damage and in response the the observation point was hit.

Israel confirmed the strike and in a statement justified it as retaliation for a detonation device that exploded near an Israeli engineering military vehicle on Wednesday. The device had been planted near the Gaza border but its detonation caused no injuries or casualties.

More than 30 Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed by indiscriminate Israeli fire during the demonstrations of the Great Return March near the Gaza border fence which started on March 30, marking the Palestinian Land Day.

Israel has imposed a restricted siege on the Gaza Strip after Hamas won the Parliamentary elections in 2006. As a result, more than two million Palestinians face harsh circumstances including the highest unemployment rate in the world and restricted movement in and out of the enclave.