An explosion has killed an Israeli soldier amid clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip.
An Arab television station reported that Tuesday's explosion wounded at least three Israeli soldiers in addition to the fatality.
The Israeli military offered no confirmation of any casualties, but said an attack on a military patrol had taken place.
It is the first apparent breach of a January 18 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters routinely clash along the border fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel.
Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza last week after an offensive whose stated aim was to stop Palestinian rocket fire.
And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.” [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl 49]
An Israeli soldier is reported to have been killed and several others injured in an explosion on the Gaza border.
The Israeli military said the blast targeted a patrol near the Kissufim border crossing into Gaza.
Palestinian residents reported the sound of gunfire and Israeli helicopters in the area.
It is the first reported Israeli fatality since Israel and Hamas declared ceasefires on 18 January after a three-week Israeli offensive.
Arab news channels said one Israeli soldier was killed and three injured in the incident. The Israeli military would not confirm the casualties until next of kin had been informed.
One Palestinian was killed in the fighting, Palestinian medical officials said.
Ceasefire negotiations
The clash is the most serious outbreak of violence since the Israeli operation against Gaza ended with independent declarations of ceasefire from Israel and Hamas more than a week ago.
More than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the violence.
Israel said its objective was to stop militant rocket fire into southern Israel.
Egyptian mediators have been meeting separately with Israel and Hamas to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire between the two sides.
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.
Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas militants from re-arming via smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt.
And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.” [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl 49]
An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian man are reported to have been killed in a clash on the Israel-Gaza border.
The soldier was killed when his patrol was hit by an explosion, Arab news channels reported. The Palestinian was killed soon after by Israeli gunfire.
The Israeli military said the blast targeted a patrol in Israel near the Kissufim border crossing into Gaza.
It is the first reported Israeli death since Israel and Hamas declared ceasefires more than a week ago.
Arab news channels said one Israeli soldier had been killed and three injured in the explosion. The Israeli military would not confirm the casualties until next of kin had been informed.
No Palestinian militant group has yet said it carried out the attack.
Palestinian residents of Kissufim said they could hear Israeli helicopters circling overhead and the sound of heavy gunfire.
The residents said the Palestinian killed was a farmer caught in an exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and militants.
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 said its objective was to stop militant rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza.
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.
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.
And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.” [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl 49]
An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian are reported to have been killed in a clash along the border with the Gaza Strip.
An Arab television station reported that the soldier was killed when his patrol was hit by Tuesday's explosion.
At least three other Israeli soldiers were wounded by the blast, which occured near the Kissufim crossing.
The Israeli military said the blast targeted a patrol near the Kissufim border crossing into Gaza but would not confirm the casualties.
The Palestinian man was killed when a shell hit a group of Israeli troops, Al Jazeera reported.
Tamer Mishal, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reporting from Gaza, said an anti-armour shell was fired from inside the territory at an Israeli tank near the area of Khan Younis.
"Witnesses told Al Jazeera that the grenade directly hit an Israeli jeep," he said.
"Palestinian residents reported the sound of gunfire and Israeli helicopters in the area."
Exchange of fire
The residents of Kissufim said the army patrol and Palestinian fighters exchanged fire shortly after the blast.
Local residents said the Palestinian killed was a farmer caught in the crossfire.
No Palestinian group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent, reporting from Gaza, said the Israeli military have not disclosed what the cause of the explosion was.
"The likely scenario is that an improvised explosion device of some sort was under that patrol as it was driving and detonated ... but some reports suggest it was a mortar round that was used against the patrol," he said.
"We are not sure if it was remotely detonated or if a pressure sensor caused it to trigger, but we do know that as a result of that explosion one Israeli solder was killed and three are in a critical state of injury.
"Immediately after a large blast of gunfire was heard in the area, there were several farmers out on their land, and we understand that one Palestinian farmer was killed."
Fragile ceasefire
It is the first apparent breach of a January 18 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza.
Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza last week after a three-week offensive whose stated aim was to stop Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel.
Egyptian mediators have been meeting separately with Israel and Hamas to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire.
Hamas's demand
Hamas wants the border crossings into Gaza re-opened, including the Rafah crossing into Egypt, to end the Israeli blockade in the territory.
Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas fighters from using smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt to re-arm themselves with weapons.
Barack Obama, the US president, has sent George Mitchell, his newly appointed Middle East envoy, to the region to discuss the ceasefire efforts.
Obama instructed Mitchell, who played a prominent role in the Northern Ireland peace process, to "engage vigorously" to achieve real progress between Israel and the Palestinians.
And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.” [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl 49]
lol what i like is how some are claiming hamas broke a ceasefire, what ceasefire? all they agreed to was a small truce, its not binding for long term, in actuality that short term truce is over.
secondly, Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire, incase any of you dont know what that means, it means that Israel can bomb and attack Gaza and Hamas anytime they feel like, so in reality there is no real ceasefire.
Is there any information on what side of the border the attack against IDF happened? It seams like there are different unconfirmed stories regarding this.
It doesn't seem plausible that it happened on the israeli side, although i could be wrong. It must've been right on the inside parameter of the walls around the entrance to Gaza, and the IDF must've been engaged in preparations for another incursion.
Hamas says this attack wasn't their work, and it appears to be from a small group that identifies more with Al-Qaeda's "global jihad" than Hamas. Israel doesn't care however. Any attack from Gaza is seen as Hamas' responsibility.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
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