Israeli forces killed five Palestinians today in clashes with militants during a raid on the Gaza Strip.
A Hamas militant and a 40-year-old bystander were killed during the raid on the southern villages of Qarara and Abassan, hospital officials said.
Hamas said another of its gunmen and his 70-year-old mother were shot dead when troops fired at their house.
At least 12 Palestinians were wounded in the fighting in which the Israeli troops were backed by military aircraft.
Militant group Islamic Jihad said one of its members was killed and at least four were wounded by a missile strike during the raid.
An Israeli army spokesman said the operation was carried out to try to find a suspected militant tunnel network at the Gazan frontier and to prevent cross-border rocket fire.
"During the operation, our forces encountered gunmen and fired on them, hitting at least four," the spokesman said.
The army said it rounded up some 80 Palestinians for interrogation and that a bomb and explosive belt was discovered in the the raid.
Hamas said its militants fired assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at Israeli forces. Witnesses said tanks responded with machinegun fire and Israeli snipers shot at the militants from rooftops.
Israeli aircraft fired two missiles that wounded seven gunmen, they said.
Hamas's armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, vowed in a statement to continue the fight against Israel "until either victory or martyrdom".
Agencies