Palestinian forces on Friday night rescued five Palestinians feared dead after a weapons-smuggling tunnel collapsed along the Gaza Strip -Egypt border.
Earlier, at least six Palestinians were killed and some 20 injured during a gunbattle with Israeli troops conducting a raid on the Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip.
Reports said that Jihad Abu Omar, 16, a resident of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, was among the victims.
Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into Khan Yunis and destroyed buildings in the area in what Israel termed as an operation aimed at cutting the number of mortar and rocket attacks from the camp at nearby settlements. On AFriday, Palestinians fired anti-tank missiles at the occupation troops and detonated an explosive device near them, locals said.
Residents said soldiers ordered people to leave their homes in the neighborhood known as the Nemsawi (Austrian) Project.
The new Israeli aggression came several hours after an helicopter fired a missile at a Gaza Strip workshop which the army said was used by Palestinians to store munitions, destroying it but causing no casualties. Palestinian witnesses said the target was a basement carpentry shop in Rafah refugee camp. An Israeli spokeswoman said the site contained mortar bombs stowed away by Hamas.
