The Israeli military confirmed an air attack on the northern Gaza Strip Friday morning which it said killed one Palestinian.

Palestinian sources were quoted in Israeli media as confirming that four men were injured, two seriously.

Military sources said a group of Palestinians in the Jabaliya region of northern Gaza were preparing to launch projectiles on southern Israel. An army spokeswoman said the slain Palestinian was a member of a group called "Jaljalat" which she described as a Salafist group in Gaza with "ties to Al-Qaeda." The group is not known to operate in Gaza.

The spokeswoman said the strike hit at about 6am.

Earlier Israeli reports claimed five mortar shells were launched from the Strip four hours before the airstrike. According to Israeli sources, there were no injuries or damages as a result of the strikes. On Thursday night, the Israeli military reported an attempted projectile launch from northern Gaza, but noted the projectiles did not land in Israeli areas.