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Israeli forces trade fire with Gaza gunmen – Hamas | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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GAZA, (Reuters) – Israeli forces exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, Hamas sources and Palestinian medical workers said, in the second violent incident this week to rupture the calm of a truce since June.

An Israeli military spokeswoman denied there was any shooting, saying troops detonated two explosive devices on the Gaza side of a border fence then returned to Israel with no reported casualties.

Hamas sources and medical workers said Palestinian ambulances rushed to the area near the town of Khan Younis where Israeli troops had entered, drawing fire from Islamist Hamas gunmen deployed in the area and responding with gunfire.

Israel killed six Hamas gunmen in air raids and a ground strike on Tuesday that was the first lethal Israeli-Palestinian confrontation in the coastal territory since an Egyptian-brokered truce took effect in June.

Palestinian gunmen fired rockets at southern Israel on Friday, causing no damage or casualties, the Israeli army said. The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility for these shootings.

More than 50 rockets fired from Gaza have struck inside Israel since the Israeli raid on Tuesday, causing no casualties.