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| Israeli soldier killed near Gaza | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| An Israeli soldier has been killed and three others injured in an attack on their patrol near the border with Gaza. | An Israeli soldier has been killed and three others injured in an attack on their patrol near the border with Gaza. |
| Israel's army said an explosive device was detonated next to the patrol. | |
| Israeli troops crossed into Gaza as helicopters hovered overhead firing machine guns. One Palestinian has been killed, Gaza medics said. | Israeli troops crossed into Gaza as helicopters hovered overhead firing machine guns. One Palestinian has been killed, Gaza medics said. |
| The Israeli death is the first since Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel declared ceasefires after a three-week Israeli offensive against Gaza. | The Israeli death is the first since Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel declared ceasefires after a three-week Israeli offensive against Gaza. |
| One Israeli officer was badly wounded in the explosion and the other soldiers were lightly wounded, an army spokesman said. | |
| No Palestinian militant group has said it carried out the attack. | No Palestinian militant group has said it carried out the attack. |
| Palestinian residents of Kissufim, the border crossing into Gaza near where the blast hit the Israeli patrol, said they could hear Israeli helicopters circling overhead and the sound of heavy gunfire. | Palestinian residents of Kissufim, the border crossing into Gaza near where the blast hit the Israeli patrol, said they could hear Israeli helicopters circling overhead and the sound of heavy gunfire. |
| Israeli troops crossed into Gaza looking for the militants who carried out the attack, Israeli defence officials said. | Israeli troops crossed into Gaza looking for the militants who carried out the attack, Israeli defence officials said. |
| Medics in Gaza said the Palestinian killed was a farmer hit by gunfire. | Medics in Gaza said the Palestinian killed was a farmer hit by gunfire. |
| Israel has closed the border crossings into Gaza because of the the attack on the patrol, Israeli officials said, stopping the flow of aid supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents. | Israel has closed the border crossings into Gaza because of the the attack on the patrol, Israeli officials said, stopping the flow of aid supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents. |
| Aid agencies have been struggling to meet the urgent needs of tens and thousands of displaced, homeless and injured people in Gaza. | |
| Ceasefire negotiations | Ceasefire negotiations |
| Israel and Hamas declared separate ceasefires on 17 and 18 January, ending a three-week Israeli offensive in which nearly 1,300 Palestinians and 10 Israeli soldiers were killed. Three Israeli civilians were killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the same period. | Israel and Hamas declared separate ceasefires on 17 and 18 January, ending a three-week Israeli offensive in which nearly 1,300 Palestinians and 10 Israeli soldiers were killed. Three Israeli civilians were killed by rocket fire from Gaza in the same period. |
| Israel said its objective was to stop militant rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza. | Israel said its objective was to stop militant rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza. |
| When Hamas called its ceasefire, it said Israel had one week to fully open all the crossings into Gaza. | |
| Egyptian mediators have been meeting separately with Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire. | Egyptian mediators have been meeting separately with Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire. |
| US President Barack Obama has sent his newly-appointed Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, to the region to discuss the ceasefire efforts. | US President Barack Obama has sent his newly-appointed Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, to the region to discuss the ceasefire efforts. |
| Hamas wants the border crossings into Gaza re-opened, including the Rafah crossing into Egypt, to end the Israeli blockade which has strangled the territory's economy. | Hamas wants the border crossings into Gaza re-opened, including the Rafah crossing into Egypt, to end the Israeli blockade which has strangled the territory's economy. |
| Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas militants from re-arming via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt. | Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas militants from re-arming via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt. |