The bureau chief to Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, Moti Gil, was moderately wounded by sniper fire late Friday morning in Kibbutz Nir Am, near the Gazan border. Early reports indicted he was struck in the lower extremities.

Minister Dichter and staff members were touring the area with a CIC group from Canada, which they are hosting when sniper fire rang out from Gaza, striking Gil.

Gil was reported moderate condition, taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

Earlier on Friday morning, terrorist gunfire from northern Gaza was directed into Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha. No injuries were reported in that attack.

Shortly after the attack, the Jerusalem Post reported that the sniper was a Hamas terrorist, and according to a French news agency who quoted Hamas, he was aiming for the minister and the group he was leading.