Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired several mortar shells at the Erez Crossing on Sunday, causing no damage or injuries.

The Erez Crossing is the exclusive border crossing available to people who wish to travel between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and is used primarily by foreign media, dignitaries, and Palestinian laborers.

Israel Air Force aircraft struck several of Islamic Jihad and Fatah targets in Gaza City early Sunday morning, following a joint attempt by the militant groups to abduct an Israel Defense Forces soldier on Saturday.

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The IAF bombed a building used by Islamic Jihad, causing two injuries, local residents said.

The army confirmed the air strike targeted Islamic Jihad, which took part in Saturday's cross-border raid.

The IDF said a separate air strike targeted a weapons production facility used by a militant offshoot of Fatah. Local residents said a dairy truck was hit but no one was hurt.

Palestinian militants infiltrated into southern Israel near Kissufim on Saturday, and a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad said the attack was an attempt to abduct a soldier.(Click here for map)

"The aim of the operation was to withdraw with the soldier in captivity," Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, said. "But the participation of Israeli helicopters prevented that."

According to an IDF inquiry, the four approached the area in a car disguised as a vehicle carrying journalists, blew up the fence and entered Israeli territory.

IDF troops chased three of the gunmen back to the Gaza Strip. However, one of them, 19-year-old militant Mohammed Jaabari, became separated from the group and hid inside Israel.

He shot dead a dog from the IDF's canine unit after it revealed his location, and was subsequently killed by IDF fire.

An IDF spokesman said there were no reports of missing soldiers or injuries, and denied Palestinian claims that a soldier was captured in the raid.

Islamic Jihad and the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

"It is difficult to storm [the area]. But when they entered in a surprise, they confused the enemy," Abu Ahmed said.

This is the first time Palestinian militants have penetrated the Gaza fence since the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in June of last year.

Security units in nearby Israeli towns and communities were placed on high alert and instructed to lock their entrance gates.

IDF: Troops killed Palestinian militant in south Gaza raid
Earlier Saturday, the IDF said its troops shot and killed a Palestinian militant during an operation in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported.

According to the radio, Palestinian sources said IDF troops have been operating in the area since the early morning hours.

Palestinian sources said IDF special forces entered the area east of Rafah, followed by tanks and bulldozers under the cover of helicopters.

The sources added that soldiers were conducting house to house searches in the area, and that several Palestinians had been arrested. All men under the age of 50 were ordered to gather in specified areas.

The IDF confirmed that troops have penetrated some 1.5 kilometers into the southern Gaza Strip, in what the army called an routine effort to target the terrorist infrastructure.

The army said troops returned fire against Palestinian militants, killing a gunman.

Hamas confirmed its members clashed with IDF tanks and infantry soldiers that entered the Rafah area early Saturday morning.

A Palestinian driver struck an IDF soldier south of Hebron early Saturday, lightly wounding him, the radio reported. The driver was able to escape.

Also Saturday, IDF troops came under fire in Nablus, but there were no injuries. Security forces arrested two wanted Palestinians in the West Bank on Saturday, including one Hamas member.

On Friday, IDF troops shot dead an armed Palestinian and wounded another Friday night near the West Bank city of Hebron, the military said, adding that the wounded man escaped.

Residents of the village of Tufah, west of Hebron, said the men were local hunters out looking for game in the dark. They were not known to be
connected to any militant groups.

Medics said the dead youth was aged 17, while the other man, who was in moderate condition, was 25.

An army spokesman said troops spotted a number of men discharging their weapons during target practice and opened fire on them. He said Palestinians carrying weapons were seen as a threat and could be targeted, according to standing orders.

"The troops spotted a number of men with guns firing off their weapons and opened fire on them, hitting two of them," the spokesman said.

No IDF soldiers were wounded in the incident.

Meanwhile Friday, an IDF soldier was lightly wounded when he was run over by a Palestinian driver in the West Bank, Army Radio reported. The IDF conducted searches in the area in an attempt to locate the assailant.

On Wednesday, IDF troops killed two Palestinians in separate incidents, including a 67-year-old man during a raid in the West Bank. In northern Gaza, the Israel Air Force targeted two armed Palestinians "who were spotted planting explosives," the army said.