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| Israel launches major Gaza raid | Israel launches major Gaza raid |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Six Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed in heavy clashes in the northern Gaza Strip. | Six Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed in heavy clashes in the northern Gaza Strip. |
| In one of Israel's biggest raids into Gaza in recent months, troops carried out three air strikes and moved to encircle the town of Beit Hanoun. | In one of Israel's biggest raids into Gaza in recent months, troops carried out three air strikes and moved to encircle the town of Beit Hanoun. |
| More than 35 people were wounded as troops, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, carried out the raid. | |
| An Israeli military spokesman said the operation was aimed at stopping rocket fire into Israel. | |
| Palestinian leaders have strongly condemned it. | |
| Both the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya, have described the Israeli military action as a massacre. | |
| Heavy fighting | |
| The director of the Beit Hanoun hospital told the Associated Press that all the hospital's blood supplies had been used up. | |
| An Israeli soldier was killed during the Beit Hanoun raid | |
| The Israeli army confirmed the death of one of its soldiers some hours after Palestinian militant groups issued statements saying they had killed an Israeli. | The Israeli army confirmed the death of one of its soldiers some hours after Palestinian militant groups issued statements saying they had killed an Israeli. |
| Witnesses said Israeli tanks backed by helicopter gunships entered Beit Hanoun overnight, amid heavy exchanges of fire. | Witnesses said Israeli tanks backed by helicopter gunships entered Beit Hanoun overnight, amid heavy exchanges of fire. |
| Sixty tanks were involved in the attack, AFP news agency said. | |
| It reported that Israeli soldiers took positions on rooftops during exchanges of fire with militants. | |
| Israeli bulldozers razed three houses in Beit Hanoun, and another dozen homes were hit by tank shells, the agency reported. | Israeli bulldozers razed three houses in Beit Hanoun, and another dozen homes were hit by tank shells, the agency reported. |
| There are reports of fighting in the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya. | |
| Among those killed are a Palestinian policeman and militants. | Among those killed are a Palestinian policeman and militants. |
| On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed two Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in a clash in the south near Khan Younis. | On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed two Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in a clash in the south near Khan Younis. |
| Captured soldier | Captured soldier |
| Israeli forces have made regular incursions into Gaza since late June, following the capture of an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid by Palestinian militants. | Israeli forces have made regular incursions into Gaza since late June, following the capture of an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid by Palestinian militants. |
| Reports say an inner cabinet of top ministers which met to review the situation in Gaza has decided not to expand the military offensive. | |
| Israel's Defence Minister, Amir Peretz, said the country had no intention of reoccupying the Gaza Strip. | |
| "On no account ... do we have any intention of returning to Gaza, of remaining there, or of sinking in its quagmire," he said. | |
| A spokesman for the Hamas government, Ghazi Hamad, said Israel intended to maintain Gaza's state of crisis to give itself "a green light in order to continue aggression against our people". | |
| Wednesday's attack comes amid some sign of movement to end the deadlock over Israeli soldier Cpl Gilad Shalit, who was captured on 25 June by Palestinian militants. | Wednesday's attack comes amid some sign of movement to end the deadlock over Israeli soldier Cpl Gilad Shalit, who was captured on 25 June by Palestinian militants. |
| A Hamas delegation is in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on a possible prisoner exchange in return for his release. | A Hamas delegation is in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on a possible prisoner exchange in return for his release. |
| Egypt has been acting as a mediator since Cpl Shalit's capture. | Egypt has been acting as a mediator since Cpl Shalit's capture. |
| Since his capture, more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli army operations in Gaza and the West Bank, according to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. | Since his capture, more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli army operations in Gaza and the West Bank, according to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. |