An Israeli soldier was killed in a Gaza raid.
Israeli special forces backed by tanks entered Bureij, a village in the central Gaza Strip, early Thursday in search of Palestinian gunmen and weapons caches. A soldier was killed and two others wounded when the unit came under fire.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the killing. There were are least four Palestinian casualties in the clash.
Israel has mounted regular cross-border incursions since Hamas seized control of Gaza last month. The operations appear aimed at preempting Palestinian terrorist infiltrations.
