Maghari had been at the water management facility that serves Nuseirat when an air strike hit it at around 10:30 pm (1930 GMT) on Thursday, spokesman Muhammad al-Salhi told AFP at the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where mourners gathered ahead of the funeral.

"We were surprised by a treacherous and cowardly attack on the mayor inside the plant, which led to the martyrdom of the mayor, Dr Iyad Al-Maghari, and four members of his family," Salhi said.

The Israeli army told AFP on Friday that they plan to publish shortly a statement about the incident.

AFP journalists at the water station on Friday said the facility was in tatters, with concrete strewn about in piles, electrical equipment torn apart and blood stains on the ground.

Workers were there to assess the damage to the large pipes that transport water to Nuseirat's residents.

One of the residents, Ibrahim al-Hur, told AFP: "We heard several explosions, and we were surprised that the explosions were right next to us, in the nearby water station."

"With just one missile, look what happened," he said, pointing to the demolished wall of the station behind him.

At the hospital, the mayor's body was wrapped in a white sheet adorned with a high-visibility vest, before it was loaded onto an ambulance on a stretcher.

The Nuseirat municipality said it mourned "its mayor, who chose to fulfil his duty with dedication and devotion to serve our people in Nuseirat until his last moments".

The Gaza government media office said in a statement that Maghari was "sincere and devoted to his work, serving his people and homeland".

Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 36,731 Palestinians and wounded more than 80,000 others, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The violence has left much of Gaza in ruins, and an Israeli siege has brought some 2.4 million Palestinians to the brink of starvation.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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