Israeli hurt in Gaza gun attack

Palestinian gunmen have shot and wounded an Israeli in a Gaza Strip settlement, military officials said.

The Israeli was reported to have been working on a security fence around the Jewish settlement of Morag near the town of Rafah at the time.

A coalition of Palestinian militant group said it carried out the attack.

It is the first such incident since Palestinian security forces were deployed in the area in January as part of peace moves with Israel.

We will respect calm as long as the Israeli enemy does and we will respond to their violations Popular Resistance Committees spokesman

Military sources are quoted as saying the man was wounded in the stomach and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Israel.

A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees said it was responding to Israeli violations of an informal truce.

"Our position regarding calm is clear: We will respect calm as long as the Israeli enemy does and we will respond to their violations," the PRC spokesman said.

The attack comes as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets representatives of the Gush Katif settlement to discuss the relocation of their entire community to Israel.

Violence has declined sharply in the occupied territories since a truce was declared in February.

Starting on 20 July, Israel is planning to pull all of more than 7,000 settlers from Gaza with the troops that protect them, as part of a disengagement plan.

Israel will maintain control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace.