Israeli ground forces and Palestinian fighters clashed inside the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night. According to Reuters, Palestinian witnesses said a column of Israeli armoured vehicles crossed the border in central Gaza Strip and came under mortar and machinegun fire.
Israeli helicopters circled overhead as the soldiers surrounded the home of a senior Islamic Jihad member. The Islamic Jihad movement said the man was a leader of its armed wing. During the firefights at least three Palestinians wrere killed, reports have indicated. Among the victimes was a baby.
Israeli officials said it was a "pinpoint operation." The soldiers seized two Islamic Jihad activist and were pulling out two hours after the incursion, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he remained optimistic that Israel and the Palestinians could reach a peace deal before he leaves office. "Ten months is a long time. There's plenty of time to get a deal done," Bush said after White House talks with Jordan's King Abdullah. The American leader said the goal of U.S. diplomacy is to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.
