Israeli tanks advanced into the Gaza Strip today after the worst clash with Palestinian fighters in 14 months killed two on each side, and Palestinian sources reported more casualties in the fighting.
Two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed in what may be the most deadly clash on the Gaza Strip border since Israel ended its offensive there.
Sources said five Israeli tanks and two armoured bulldozers advanced from the east firing shells at targets near the town of Khan Younis in the centre of the narrow coastal enclave.
The Gaza-based militant group Popular Resistance Committees confirmed one of its fighters was critically wounded by shelling. Palestinian sources reported Israeli helicopters and unmanned military drones in the skies.
The militant Islamist group Hamas which rules the enclave said its men had fired on Israeli soldiers who crossed into the Strip.
The clash did not appear to be directly linked to the current diplomatic impasse between Israel, the Palestinians and the United States over Israeli settlement of occupied West Bank land and stalled efforts to relaunch peace talks.
Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
Hamas has largely held its fire since a costly three-week war with Israel in the opening days of 2009 in which some 1,400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, and 13 Israelis, mainly soldiers, were killed.
But smaller factions have violated the de facto truce by firing rockets and mortars into neighbouring Israeli territory.
Israel said it was holding Hamas accountable for the violence, which made further retaliatory action likely.
"Hamas is accountable for any activity that takes place from Gaza to Israel. It doesn't matter if it took responsibility or not," a military spokeswoman told reporters.
Reuters