Girl shot dead by Israeli troops

troops shot dead a seven-year-old Palestinian girl in a Gaza refugee camp yesterday, medics said, after militants wounded four Israelis in a mortar attack on a nearby Jewish settlement.

The girl was killed by gunfire that struck Khan Younis in apparent retaliation for an earlier volley of mortars that hit the Gush Katif settlement bloc, Palestinian medics said.

A military source confirmed troops opened fire at Khan Younis, but said they aimed at Palestinian mortar crews. The army insists it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties.