Two Palestinian policemen were killed in an attack by an Israeli helicopter that fired two missiles at a police post during a raid in the Gaza Strip this morning.
The Israeli army claimed its helicopter struck after Palestinian police manning the post opened fire on Israeli soldiers trying to arrest three Palestinians in the northern Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun.
Palestinian hospital sources said two policemen were killed in the helicopter attack and six others, including several civilians, were wounded.
The commander of Israeli ground forces involved in the raid claimed his troops came under fire from both police and militants hiding inside a house and local gunmen who threw explosives at armoured vehicles.
He said his forces completed the mission by arresting the three Palestinian militants before withdrawing from the town.
The army said its forces also arrested 23 militants overnight in the West Bank.
At least 1,955 Palestinians and 727 Israelis have died since a Palestinian uprising began in September 2000 after the collapse of talks on an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.