Israeli soldiers have killed two Palestinians during a pre-dawn raid in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian security sources said one of the dead was a policeman and the other a civilian.
More than 30 tanks and other military vehicles entered the Twam neighbourhood north of Gaza City during the night where troops destroyed the home of an alleged member of the Islamic group Hamas.
The Israeli army said the Hamas militant masterminded an attack on an Israeli tank near the northern Gaza settlement of Dugit on Saturday in which four soldiers were killed when their tank ran over an explosive.
At least six Hamas militants were killed in a blast near Gaza City yesterday which the Islamic movement blamed on Israel and vowed to avenge. Witnesses said an explosive device went off near a car at a farm in al-Zeitun neighbourhood, known as a Hamas stronghold.
Hamas officials said its members had been studying parts for a small remote-control glider when it blew up, possibly detonated by a military drone flying in the area. The army had no immediate comment.
The explosion occurred hours after Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said the army would deal a heavy blow to Hamas after the group claimed responsibility for the attack on the tank.
Such threats have been followed in the past by Israeli air strikes on munitions factories, house demolitions and arrests of Palestinian militants.
Palestinians and human rights groups have called Israel's policy of demolishing the houses of militants or buildings it says were used to launch attacks against Israeli forces as collective punishment.
At least 1,838 Palestinians and 705 Israelis have been killed since an uprising erupted after US-brokered talks on Palestinian statehood stalled in the summer of 2000.