Boy, 15, dies in Gaza clash

A 15-year-old boy was killed and 14 other people wounded when Palestinian militants and Israeli forces clashed in the southern Gaza Strip, hospital officials said.

An eyewitnesses said 20 Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered the Rafah refugee camp close to the Egyptian border shortly after midnight. Hospital officials identified the dead boy as Mohammed Hamdan, a Palestinian resident of the camp.

Israeli military officials said the clash took place during routine searches. They said Israeli forces had opened fire only in response to heavy fire from Palestinians.

There were no Israeli casualties in the incident, the officials said.

Rafah has been a frequent focus for Israeli-Palestinian clashes during nearly three years of violence between the sides. Most have developed around intensive Israeli efforts to interdict weapons smuggling from neighbouring Egypt.