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Israeli forces killed three Palestinians who opened fire on a civilian car and an Israeli outpost at a Jewish settlement in Gaza late Thursday, the military said.
The Israeli military said it shot dead three armed Palestinians as they approached the Jewish settlement of Tel Katifa in the southern Gaza Strip. The gunmen were shot on land, but the settlement is on the Mediterranean coast, and the military said it was investigating the possibility that they reached the area by sea.
After the shootings, Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered the area late Thursday. Palestinian security officials said 15 Israeli vehicles, including tanks and bulldozers, moved about 400 yards into areas next to the town of Deir el-Balah. Two Israeli helicopters were hovering over the scene, they said.
It was the most serious incident since the assassination of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin on Monday.
The aftermath of the killing has been felt in Israel. The president of Romania called off a trip set for Monday, tour operators report that many tourists have canceled their trips, and a leading European basketball team refused to fly to Israel for a league game on Thursday.