Four Palestinians killed in clashes with Israel

Gaza, June 20: Two Palestinian militants were killed earlytoday in the first deadly clash between Israeli troops and militants inthe Gaza Strip since Hamas Islamists forcefully took control of theterritory last week.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants in a gunbattle near the city of Jenin.

Israeli troops have largely stayed out of the Gaza Strip since Hamas's takeover.

Several Israeli tanks and troops crossed the border fence intoGaza overnight near the key Kissufim border crossing in the centralGaza Strip, witnesses said.

An army spokesman said the force was searching for wanted militants.

One Hamas militants and a member of another militant group, thePopular Resistance Committees, were killed in the Gaza gunbattle.

One Israeli soldier was moderately injured in the Gaza clash, an Israeli army spokesman said.

In the West Bank, Palestinian security sources said Israeli forceskilled a member of the Islamic Jihad militant group and a Fatah gunman.

Reuters>