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Palestinians: IDF troops kill two Hamas militants in Gaza air strike
By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: IDF, Gaza, Hamas

Israel launched an air strike in the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing two Hamas militants and wounding two, the Palestinian Islamist group and medical staff said.

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in June when it routed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's forces, said the four men were traveling in a car near the border fence with Israel close to the al-Bureij refugee camp when the attack occurred.

The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman's Office confirmed the attack, maintaining they were targeting militants.
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The spokesman said gunmen approached the Gaza-Israel fence near the area of Bureij refugee camp, prompting suspicions they were trying to strike at troops near the border. A third Hamas gunman was seriously injured in the attack, Hamas said.

The troops were not located inside the Gaza Strip, the IDF spokesman said.

The gunmen were members of a night guard that patrols the border and includes militants of different factions, Hamas said. The force is meant to thwart IDF incursions into the Gaza Strip.

The IDF frequently carries out such pinpoint operations into the coastal territory to target Palestinian militants shooting rockets into southern Israel.

A Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip on Sunday struck the yard of a Carlsberg beer factory in southern Ashkelon, causing light damage. Workers in the yard managed to take shelter following the Red Alert siren. The Islamic Jihad said that the Qassam was of upgraded range quality.

Earlier Sunday, Palestinians in Gaza fired two Qassams toward the Eshkol Regional Council, and another rocket struck in the area of Kibbutz Sha'ar Hanegev. Theer was no injuries or damages reported in those incidents.

At least seven Palestinian militants were killed and an IDF soldier seriously wounded last Thursday as IDF tanks and troops raided the central Gaza Strip in an effort to stem the continuing Qassam rocket fire at the western Negev.

The soldier was wounded when Palestinian militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the troops.

Four additional troops were lightly wounded in the incident, and the seriously wounded soldier was evacuated by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.

Thursday's clash came a day after Israel rejected an invitation to launch talks over a truce from Hamas that would see Palestinian militants end their rocket fire from Gaza in return for a halt to IDF military operations.

Last Monday, the IDF launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip which continued into Tuesday and left 11 Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants dead.

Meanwhile, Hamas said on Monday that its forces arrested a group of Palestinians who collaborated with Israel and provided key information that helped Israeli forces kill Hamas officials.

The Hamas members killed as a result of the cooperation include Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, who was assassinated by Israel in 2004, said the spokesman of the Hamas military wing, Abu Obeida.

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      1.   BRAVE IDF/IAF 07:09  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 24/12/07
      2.   Run IAF run ! Dutch is comming 08:35  |  infidel 24/12/07
      3.   # 1 to the zionist in FLORIDA 09:59  |  eric 24/12/07
      4.   Target Of Attack 11:00  |  Clickfool 24/12/07
      5.   Flee IDF the dutch is on her way 12:54  |  Adrian de KLerk 24/12/07
      6.   hymies excellent Gaza adventure 12:55  |  kill from the sky 24/12/07
      7.   Oi dutch 12:57  |  Adrian de Klerk 24/12/07
      8.   #4, clickfool 13:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/12/07
      9.   Eric in NM 13:25  |  rich 24/12/07
      10.   to #3, eric 13:33  |  Marcelo 24/12/07
      11.   These incursions into Gaza are not going to work,since this looks 14:31  |  lakshmi 24/12/07
      12.   #2 Eric 15:02  |  I support Israel 24/12/07
      13.   IDF X-MAS MURDERS 15:03  |  POP 24/12/07
      14.   The snake say peace but kill 15:08  |  Dav 24/12/07
      15.   Clickfool & Lakshmi 15:18  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      16.   2 new six feet under 15:23  |  maurice 24/12/07
      17.   POP AND HAMAS NOT HANDSOME 15:27  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      18.   I`m looking forward to the counter attack on Israel 15:30  |  * BEN JABO 24/12/07
      19.   Clickfool- No.1 source of idiocy 15:41  |  Stranger on da shore 24/12/07
      20.   Clickfool the Wise (Second attempt) 15:46  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 24/12/07
      21.   ONLY TWO MORE? WHAT A SHAME 15:48  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      22.   Bombs to Gaza on X-Mass. From; God`s chosen people 15:49  |  POP 24/12/07
      23.   Recognition is a neighborly thing..... 15:52  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      24.   #3 eric 15:56  |  Labhras 24/12/07
      25.   #21 Jakarta blues 16:03  |  Stranger on da shore 24/12/07
      26.   Cipora, your moral standing is in the gutter... 16:03  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      27.   to DUTCH 16:22  |  LOONIETOOHOO 24/12/07
      28.   #21..Indrajaya 16:27  |  Nemesis 24/12/07
      29.   eric 16:29  |  Nephtaly 24/12/07
      30.   # 25, STRANGER ON DA SHORE 16:33  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      31.   # 28 NEMESIS 16:45  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      32.   Hello Infidel, you should know the score too 16:46  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      33.   Its like a christmas miracle 16:47  |  santa 24/12/07
      34.   # 11 lakshmi, I rather enjoy the Tribunal 16:59  |  Lynn 24/12/07
      35.   Dutch: don` inult Dutch People by using a fake name `Dutch` 17:01  |  Vittorio 24/12/07
      36.   Dutch: Rxplain what is your connection with Doris Cadigan (?!) 17:02  |  Vittorio 24/12/07
      37.   #15 Honest Observation, Twisting the truth... 17:05  |  dutch 24/12/07
      38.   Indrajaya Is Right 17:07  |  Jamal 24/12/07
      39.   Infidel, another word 17:19  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      40.   Israeli ants at work 17:25  |  Limit 2 Patience 24/12/07
      41.   To #37 Really Dutch name the states please 17:30  |  Bullhorn 24/12/07
      42.   # 38, JAMAL 17:33  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      43.   Israel Has the highest support in all history! 17:34  |  Justin 24/12/07
      44.   Every day some islamofascists less 17:36  |  Jean 24/12/07
      45.   Hope for more islamofascist dead the next days 17:39  |  maurice 24/12/07
      46.   indrajaya 17:39  |  Levi 24/12/07
      47.   Whine about cluster bombs of Lebonan 17:40  |  Levi 24/12/07
      48.   Good work IDF keep up the policing of these murderers 17:41  |  Levi. 24/12/07
      49.   # 46, LEVI 17:56  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      50.   # 47, LEVI 18:00  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      51.   Vittorio, My name is not a fake ... 18:06  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      52.   Indrayagagaga #49 18:15  |  Tex 24/12/07
      53.   # 52, TEX 18:26  |  indrajaya 24/12/07
      54.   DUTCH when are you going to get it? 18:52  |  Gil 24/12/07
      55.   Dutch to Honest Observation 19:01  |  infidel 24/12/07
      56.   #32 Dutch 19:18  |  infidel 24/12/07
      57.   #18 IS A FORGERY by a PATHETIC CREATURE 19:20  |  * BEN JABO 24/12/07
      58.   #35 Vittorio 19:35  |  * BEN JABO 24/12/07
      59.   Dutch 19:46  |  Gil 24/12/07
      60.   Gil, You are being riduclous..... 19:53  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      61.   if idf had been arab ... 20:18  |  frenz 24/12/07
      62.   POP, muslims don`t celebrate Xmas, neither do Jews 20:36  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 24/12/07
      63.   TWO? 20:51  |  DITCH 24/12/07
      64.   DUTCH TIME AGAIN 20:55  |  Honest Observation 24/12/07
      65.   TO I SUPPORT ISRAEL. 21:03  |  DANNY. 24/12/07
      66.   TO ERIC THE MORON. 21:10  |  DANNY. 24/12/07
      67.   Dutch You know you convinced me! 21:12  |  Gil 24/12/07
      68.   Honest Observation. The major source of tension 21:21  |  Dutch 24/12/07
      69.   Dutch- Law enforcement as a proper response? 21:22  |  Ditch 24/12/07
      70.   To Vittoria, and everyone else curious abt Dutch 21:24  |  truth 24/12/07
      71.   Indrajaya 21:25  |  Nemesis 24/12/07
      72.   Dutch on the other hand 21:28  |  Gil 24/12/07
      73.   TO NO 35 CIPORA 21:29  |  DANNY. PLEASE PRIN