Israeli forces kill 7 Palestinians in Gaza

GAZA, Aug 3:Israeli forces killed five Palestinian gunmen and two civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, in the southern Gaza Strip today as they pushed deeper into a militant stronghold, Palestinian witnesses said.

Troops carried out house-to-house searches in the Rafah area, close to where militants tunnelled into Israel on June 25 and seized a soldier, prompting Israel's offensive into the territory it abandoned last year.

At least 161 Palestinians have been killed in efforts to recover the soldier and end cross-border rocket fire. More than half the dead are civilians.

In the latest violence, Israeli air strikes killed five militants and the boy, Palestinians said. Another civilian was killed by gunfire. At least 25 Palestinians were wounded.

Militants with guns and anti-tank rockets confronted at least 50 armoured vehicles as they pushed into Rafah.

At least one of the dead gunmen was from the armed wing of the governing Hamas Islamist group. Another was from Islamic Jihad, which is also dedicated to destroying the Jewish state.

Israel's offensive has increased pressure on Hamas, which had been under a Western aid embargo to try to force it to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept peace deals.

Israel has rejected demands by the armed wing of Hamas and the other groups that captured Corporal Gilad Shalit to exchange him for Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces left Gaza almost a year ago after 38 years of occupation.

Reuters