Israeli forces killed five Palestinian gunmen and three civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday as they pushed deeper into a militant stronghold, Palestinian witnesses said.
Troops carried out house-to-house searches in the Rafah area, close to where militants tunneled into Israel on June 25 and seized a soldier, prompting Israel’s offensive into the territory it abandoned last year.
At least 162 Palestinians have been killed in efforts to recover the soldier and end cross-border rocket fire. More than half the dead are civilians.
In the latest violence, Israeli airstrikes killed five militants and two civilians, including the boy, Palestinians said. Another civilian was killed by gunfire. At least 25 Palestinians were wounded.
Militants with guns and anti-tank rockets confronted at least 50 armored vehicles as they pushed into Rafah.
At least one of the dead gunmen was from the armed wing of the governing Hamas group. Another was from Islamic Jihad, which is also dedicated to destroying Israel.
Israel’s offensive has increased pressure on Hamas, which had been under a Western aid embargo to try to force it to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept peace deals.
Israel has rejected demands by the armed wing of Hamas and the other groups that captured Corp. Gilad Shalit to exchange him for Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli forces left Gaza almost a year ago after 38 years of occupation.