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Last update - 18:47 27/05/2008 Palestinians: IDF kills 5 in Gaza; soldier hurt by anti-tank missile By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies Tags: Abduction, IDF, Israel, Gaza Israel Defense Forces troops killed five Palestinian gunmen on Friday in clashes with militants in the southern Gaza Strip, according to medical workers and militants. An Israel Air Force strike on gunmen east of Gaza's southern city of Rafah killed three Hamas militants, medical workers said. Advertisement An IDF spokeswoman confirmed a strike had been carried out against militants who had fired an anti-tank missile at troops, moderately wounding a soldier. The soldier was evacuated by helicopter to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Separately, the Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its fighters were killed by IDF soldiers in the central Gaza Strip. The IDF spokeswoman said soldiers fired at a group of gunmen who had tried to plant a bomb near Israel's border fence with Gaza. Heavy clashes erupted before dawn when IDF troops entered an area known as Sufa in the southeastern part of the coastal enclave. The IDF spokesman said troops had been operating in the area since Thursday evening and clashed with militants but he had no information about Palestinian casualties. Medical workers said soldiers arrested about 30 Palestinians during the raid. The army said it was checking the report. Also on Friday, two Qassam rockets hit the western Negev; no one was injured. Erez crossing blast may be part of botched abduction bid On Thursday, truck filled with explosives blew up on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip. IDF sources said it seems the truck was supposed to explode on the Israeli side, but must have blown up too early either due to a technical problem or because it ran into poles near the crossing. A short time later, the Israel Air Force attacked a jeep fleeing the area near the crossing and heading toward Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces believes that the failed attack, and the jeep, were part of an attempt to abduct IDF soldiers. At 6:30 A.M. Thursday morning the huge explosion rocked the northern part of the Gaza Strip, as the truck loaded with about four tons of explosives blew up about 100 meters from the Israeli side of the crossing. Islamic Jihad said it and Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade cooperated in the attack. Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing, identified the suicide bomber as 23-year-old Ibrahim Nasser from Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. The group released a video of Nasser, a young bearded man in uniform, smiling as he brandished a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The jeep was meant to drive through a hole blown in the Israelis' defenses and help in the abduction of soldiers, or possibly to transport the militants to the Israeli side. Palestinians also fired mortar rounds at Israeli positions before and during the attack. The entire area was covered by heavy fog at the time of the attack, and as a result IDF forces changed their deployment, in response to lessons learned in past attacks that took place amid poor visibility. The fog made it difficult for IDF soldiers at observation points to see the attackers. Despite the huge blast, no Israelis were injured. The IDF credited the lack of casualties to its preparations "in light of the numerous warnings throughout the entire sector." On nearby Moshav Netiv Ha'asara, residents reported shattered windows from the blast. The explosion also damaged power lines, causing electrical problems in a number of neighboring Palestinian towns. The explosion left a 12-meter wide and meter-deep hole, and only a few bits of the truck remained. The blast was heard up to 30 kilometers away. The army closed the Erez crossing after the attack, and 31 Palestinians, mostly sick people on their way to medical treatment and their escorts, were not allowed to enter Israel. Also Thursday, an IDF force killed a Palestinian demonstrator and wounded about another 10, after the demonstrators threw rocks at the Karni crossing and Palestinians opened fire. The demonstration was part of a march protesting the closing of the crossings into the Gaza Strip after the morning attack. The IDF said that men armed with light weapons and even antitank missiles were scattered in the crowd of demonstrators. The IDF said the militants opened fire a number of times from within the crowd. Related articles: News / Netanyahu: Olmert using Syria talks to divert attention from probe Hamas: No truce unless Israel lifts siege of Gaza Strip Border Police troops kills Egyptian who infiltrated Israel Bookmark to del.icio.us   Nuclear allegation Jimmy Carter says Israel has arsenal of 150 nuclear weapons. On penalty of death Rightist MK Eldad says those who give away Israeli land should get death penalty.   1.   And then they complain about a blockade 03:43  |  Dan 23/05/08   2.   The Jews of Chelm had more sense!!! 06:36  |  Akiva P 23/05/08   3.   4 ton bomb - How much has been smuggled 07:57  |  Reid 23/05/08   4.   Current proposals like the Road Map are totally.... 11:19  |  Jean Van Daem 23/05/08   5.   Dan in Haifa 12:19  |  wibism 23/05/08   6.   The AP photograph above 13:22  |  Martin Hubert 23/05/08   7.   Shortages? 13:24  |  theplaintruth 23/05/08   8.   Hamas is being decimated 13:35  |  17 23/05/08   9.   Now we know why so little diesel fuel is available. 13:41  |  Stephen. 23/05/08   10.   Bad luck, the truck didn`t exploded on the Gaza market 14:25  |  maurice 23/05/08   11.   With the driver in 1000 pieces, not a nice gift for the virgins 14:26  |  jean 23/05/08   12.   Well, when the Arabs play with fire against all signed agreements 14:27  |  Erez 23/05/08   13.   #6 AP photo is probably a video still 14:36  |  Jake 23/05/08   14.   insanity of jewish liberals 14:52  |  greg 23/05/08   15.   Wibism, no me, they are the ones whining about blockades dude 15:12  |  Dan 23/05/08   16.   they were targetting civilians 15:15  |  odles 23/05/08   17.   Jews learn from their mistakes, Arabs evidently don`t. 15:20  |  Freethinker 23/05/08   18.   You`re right, wibism, you`re the one to be pitied 15:23  |  Freethinker 23/05/08   19.   Medical treatment in egypt 15:24  |  real vision 23/05/08   20.   They launch mortars at the very people who transfer food and 15:32  |  Fawaz 23/05/08   21.   Does this make sense? 15:35  |  utagawa 23/05/08   22.   Starving Gazans 15:38  |  utagawa 23/05/08   23.   Bad Record this Year 15:50  |  Anton 23/05/08   24.   #12 Jake 15:53  |  Martin Hubert 23/05/08   25.   Firing on soldiers from within a crowd, eh? 15:53  |  spade 23/05/08   26.   beware of all these fake attacks from arabs 16:00  |  MOSHIACH 23/05/08   27.   WAKE UP YOUR SLEEPING 16:13  |  MOSHIACH 23/05/08   28.   17 Hamas will succeseed next time,don`t count them out 16:32  |  Simon 23/05/08   29.   4 ton explosive truck. It means they have enough 16:46  |  jaffar 23/05/08   30.   Opinions 17:00  |  royzer 23/05/08   31.   # 14 jaffar....while you are busy baying at the moon 17:38  |  Lynn 23/05/08   32.   #5 Wibism; We are not whining.We are just amazed at the stupidity 17:42  |  Haham me Bat Yam 23/05/08   33.   #14 Jaffar dexactly now the tables are even 17:46  |  Robert/Montreal 23/05/08   34.   resp;onse to Martin 18:07  |  jackie 23/05/08   35.   To Slowman Haaretz 18:12  |  Robert/Montreal 23/05/08   36.   to # 6 because he is a Hamasnik himself 18:19  |  Gromek 23/05/08   37.   Palestinian bravery 19:10  |  Yonatan 23/05/08   38.   re #25 `Firing on soldiers from within a crowd, eh?` 19:49  |  Colin Wright 23/05/08   39.   Colin Wright #38 not big on facts 20:17  |  Gee 23/05/08   40.   Helluvah Human Shield 21:21  |  Douglas Fireman 23/05/08   41.   Anton: Number of Qussams = number of killed gunmen 22:13  |  poetic justice 23/05/08   42.   the OSS 117 will help israel 22:27  |  HAL TRIPP 23/05/08   43.   next time use missles on all approaching rucks 22:32  |  ralph 23/05/08   44.   #23 Bad Record - Correctable 00:30  |  DesMnsDave 24/05/08   45.   Anton`s record 01:47  |  Lourdes 24/05/08   46.   #38 Colin Wrong - Stop playing stupid 02:31  |  * BEN JABO 24/05/08   47.   #46, Ben Jabo... 06:15  |  Silvienne 25/05/08   48.   #47 Silvienne - There is such a think as 15:27  |  * BEN JABO 25/05/08   49.   #48, Ben Jabo....would never have thought of that... 03:29  |  Silvienne 26/05/08   50.   #49 Silvienne - Time Lapse 22:04  |  * BEN JABO 26/05/08

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