Israeli troops trade heavy fire with Hamas gunmen in northern Gaza

Israel Defense Forces infantry units engaged in heavy exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip Monday evening. The IDF unleashed massive artillery fire to provide cover for soldiers who are penetrating deeper into the coastal territory.

Israel Air Force war jets on Monday evening struck dozens of southern Gaza tunnels used by Hamas militants to smuggle weaponry into the strip from Egypt. The tunnels, along the Philadelphi route which runs parallel to the Gaza-Egypt border, have been a frequent target for Israel Air Force strikes since the start of Operation Cast Lead 10 days ago.

Earlier Monday, an IDF officer and five soldiers sustained light to moderate wounds in clashes between Israeli ground troops and Hamas militants in eastern Gaza, near the border with Israel.

Clashes also took place in Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, while the Israel Air Force struck some 30 targets overnight.

Channel Two reported on Monday evening that the total number of armed Palestinians killed in gunbattles with the IDF reached 100.

The IDF said that the targets hit overnight included a mosque used for storing weapons, an underground bunker in Gaza City stocked with explosives which set off secondary explosions, a number of Hamas-operated tunnels near Rafah in the southern Strip, a rocket launcher, four homes of militants, and a suspected anti-aircraft missile.

Hamas militants fired rocket-propelled grenades and mortars at advancing Israeli tanks before dawn. Explosions could be heard in Gaza City as aircraft attacked buildings.