Israeli tanks move into Gaza refugee camp

Palestinian children use their mobile phones to take pictures of armed Palestinian women, members of the Popular Resistance Committees, protesting against Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, in Gaza City, Tuesday, July 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

July 18, 2006

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -Israeli tanks moved into the Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza early Wednesday under cover of machine gun fire from troops, the latest incursion in its three-week military push in the seaside territory.

The Israeli military confirmed that an operation was in progress. Palestinians said a Hamas gunman was killed by Israeli machine-gun fire as he tried to fire a rocket at Israeli tanks. Earlier, another Hamas militant was seriously wounded.

The camp, with 22,000 residents, is near the Gaza-Israel fence and across from the Palestinian town of Deir al-Balah. Israeli forces operated in the region late last week before withdrawing. Israeli troops have also swept through southern Gaza and carried out two invasions of northern Gaza, trying to stop militants from firing rockets at Israel.

The move into Mughazi was preceded by several hours of tank movements on the Israeli side, as well as exchanges of fire between soldiers and Palestinian gunmen. Palestinian officials said a Hamas militant was seriously wounded.

Israel began a large-scale operation in Gaza on June 28, three days after Hamas-lined militants tunneled under the border and attacked an Israeli army base at a Gaza crossing, killing two soldiers and capturing a third.

On Tuesday, a team of United Nations envoys met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza City about the Israeli offensive in the territory.

"We hope the present crisis engulfing Gaza is to be overcome and we can come back to the situation where it is possible to pursue the objective of peace," U.N. envoy Alvaro De Soto said after the meeting.

Palestinian officials said the U.N. team brought no offers of a deal to end the fighting to Abbas, who called for an immediate cease-fire.

"The only issue that President Abbas focused on was to find a way to stop this Israeli escalation on the ground," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said. "This is the main topic, this is what we are looking for, apart from the humanitarian crisis which we suffer from."

The military said early Wednesday it opened two crossings into Gaza Tuesday to allow shipments of food and fuel. The statement said 145 food trucks entered Gaza through the Karni crossing, while 132,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 24,000 gallons of gasoline and 175 tons of cooking gas were sent through the Nahal Oz crossing.