Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into the Khan Yunis refugee camp early Wednesday following mortar and rocket attacks by Palestinian fighters, reports said. The Occupation said that during the operation, set to last about two days, some buildings were razed.
At least two Palestinians were shot dead Wednesday. Palestinian sources named one of the victims as 22-year-old Mohammed al-Majdali, a resident of the camp.
Palestinians fired three anti-tank missiles at the troops, Israel Radio reported Wednesday morning, but there were no reports of casualties. Palestinians also shot at Israeli outposts near "Gush Katif" settlements, Israel Radio said.
For their part, Khan Yunis residents said there were exchanges of fire between the Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters.
On Sunday Israeli troops withdrew from the same areas after a two-day operation that followed dozens of mortar attacks, including one on a settlement that killed a Thai worker and another on an army base that injured 11 Israeli soldiers. During that raid, 11 Palestinians were killed and UN officials said about 40 houses were destroyed.
In the West Bank, an Israeli man was killed when Palestinians fired on a group of Israelis guarding the construction of a section of the separation wall west of the West Bank city of Hebron. The Israeli was seriously wounded but died of his wounds a short time later.
Meanwhile, Israeli police said Wednesday that a settler was killed by Palestinians near Jerusalem. The body of the dead female aged 39 was found Tuesday afternoon with her throat slit. According to Haaretz, the woman returned home Tuesday afternoon from a day of shopping with friends. After placing her things inside the house, she went outside to the yard, where the attackers ambushed her and killed her before fleeing the scene.
