The Israeli military killed two Hamas men and two Palestinian civilians on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, medical workers said.

Hamas movement on Tuesday said the release of an Israeli soldier captured in 2006 would not be part of a proposed Gaza Strip calm, despite Israeli demands for progress on the issue.

Israel will not agree to an Egyptian proposal for a calm with the Gaza Strip unless it includes the issue of arms smuggling and the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday.