Five confirmed dead in Gaza camp attack

An Israeli raid on a Gaza refugee camp killed five Palestinians today in a flare-up of violence that came just hours after a high-level Egyptian peace mission to Israel.

The one-day visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was marred by a confrontation with Palestinians at the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site.

Israel had told Maher earlier it would abide by a cease-fire with the Palestinians, though it would not sign a truce with militant groups.

Early today, about 40 Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles entered the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border, Palestinians said.

Five Palestinians, including at least three civilians, were killed and 41 other people, including nine children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire, hospital officials said. Four of the injured were in critical condition, hospital officials said.

One of those killed, Ahmed Majar, 32, was a Palestinian police officer heading to his job at the Rafah border crossing when he was shot in the head, his family said.

The army said the raid was a part of its ongoing efforts to expose weapons smuggling tunnels and that troops had fired in response to attacks by Palestinian militants.

Masked men with camouflage uniforms and headbands of the militant Hamas group ran through the town’s alleys with machine guns. At the hospital, a man in a camouflage uniform and bleeding from his head was brought in on stretcher.

Local residents said families fled the area in their pyjamas and Israeli snipers were firing from rooftop positions. Helicopters flew overhead and explosions were heard throughout the morning. At least seven houses were destroyed, residents said.

Also today, two gunmen shot an Israeli vehicle in a rare attack along the border with Egypt, the army and witnesses said. The car was hit, but no one was injured, and the army was searching for the attackers. It was not immediately clear where the gunmen came from.

In separate violence, a Palestinian threw a grenade last night at Israeli soldiers in Gaza during a firefight, killing two officers, the army said. Soldiers killed the attacker and another armed Palestinian, the military said.