Israeli troops pulled back from two neighbourhoods in the sprawling Palestinian refugee camp of Rafah, leaving behind dozens of demolished and damaged homes, torn up roads and flattened cars.

Israeli troops and tanks began pulling out of the Rafah refugee camp early today, residents said, after a three-day sweep that left 39 Palestinians dead.

Israeli troops killed five Palestinian militants early today, hours after the army pledged to forge ahead with an offensive despite harsh international criticism of a deadly attack on a Palestinian demonstration.

Palestinians say up to 23 people were killed and 50 wounded when Israeli tanks and helicopters opened fire on a demonstration in Gaza’s Rafah refugee camp.

Israeli helicopters pounded a refugee camp with missiles and machine gun fire today, killing at least 18 Palestinians as troops searched houses in a major military offensive that drew worldwide condemnation.

Israeli helicopters pounded a refugee camp with missiles and machine gun fire today, killing at least 14 Palestinians as troops searched houses in the largest offensive in Gaza in years.

Israeli helicopters pounded the Rafah refugee camp with missiles and machine gun fire today, killing 12 Palestinians, at least seven of them armed, as troops searched houses in the largest Israeli offensive in Gaza in years.

Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border early today as two air strikes killed 11 Palestinians and wounded 30, reflecting an Israeli decision to take control of the camp to stop arms smuggling and arrest militants.