Boy, 14, killed in Israeli raid

Israeli forces raided the southern Gaza town of Rafah early today, killing a 14-year-old boy, bulldozing houses and damaging the water and electricity networks, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli army said it was searching for secret tunnels Palestinian militants use to smuggle weapons across the border with Egypt.

Military sources said the soldiers were attacked by militants shooting rifles and throwing hand grenades, but had no reports of the soldiers returning fire.

Residents said there were some clashes in the town and reported fire from tanks and Israeli watchtowers. Hospital officials said six Palestinians were wounded. No soldiers were reported injured, the army said.

The raid followed an Israeli helicopter attack on a car driving through the northern Gaza Strip yesterday afternoon that killed three Hamas militants in the second such strike in five days.

The stepped up Israeli operations came ahead of a proposed withdrawal from much of the Gaza Strip.