Gaza raid kills Israeli troops

Israeli soldiers grieve the loss of their colleagues

Palestinian gunmen killed three Israeli soldiers - two women and a man - and wounded two others after infiltrating a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.

Two gunmen entered the heavily-guarded Netzarim settlement under the cover of darkness and opened fire at soldiers in their housing section, said the Israeli army.

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed joint responsibility for the attack - in which Hamas militant Samir Fouda was killed and his Islamic Jihad co-assailant escaped.

The killings happened hours after Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian trying to get into Elei Sinai settlement in the northern Gaza Strip. The army later admitted he was not considered a threat.

Medics said an 11-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed when soldiers near the Kfar Darom settlement in central Gaza opened fire in the direction of children. The Israeli army could not immediately confirm the incident.

New homes

The violence came a day after the Israeli Government invited bidders to build more than 300 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied territories in defiance of the peace plan, known as the road map.

The American-backed plan for the Middle East, known as the roadmap, requires Israel to freeze construction of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In the Netzarim attack, the gunmen cut through the exterior fence in the early hours armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles and several grenades, said the Israeli army.

"The terrorist opened fire at several soldiers in their housing sector, killing three and wounding two," said an army statement.

"An Israeli unit which rushed to the scene chased and gunned down the terrorist."

The dead were named as female sergeants Adi Osman and Sarit Schneor-Sinyor, both 19, and their male colleague 20-year-old chief sergeant Alon Avrahami.

One of the two wounded soldiers - a woman - is said to be in a serious condition.

Investigation

Following the attack, hundreds of Hamas supporters in the Palestinian Jabalya refugee camp staged a demonstration calling for further strikes on Israeli targets.

The Israeli army was launching a full investigation into the attack, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Major General Dan Harel told Israel Radio that militants had been increasing the intensity of their attacks in recent days to take advantage of the heavy mists that close in on Gaza at this time of year.

The attack followed a series of Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip earlier in the week which killed at least 11 Palestinians - militants and civilians - and triggered calls for vengeance.

Late on Thursday, three Israelis - members of a settler family from southern Gaza - were slightly wounded in a Palestinian shooting attack near the Israeli-Gaza crossing point at Kissufim. Settlers said the attacker was shot and killed.