Israel, Palestinians wage war in Gaza, 15 kilLed

Heavy fighting between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in Gaza City's Zaytoon neighborhood Tuesday killed at least six Palestinians and six Israeli soldiers.

Two more Palestinians died in an Israeli helicopter missilestrike on a car in eastern Gaza, and one Palestinian was killed onTuesday night near the borders between northern Gaza Strip andIsrael.

The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of the soldiers, who werekilled when their explosives-laden armoured personnel carrier (APC)drove over a roadside bomb planted by militants.

It was the army's heaviest death toll since November 2002, whennine soldiers were killed in an ambush in the southern West Bankcity of Hebron.

Militants, members and supporters of the Islamic Hamas movementmarched through Gaza City streets Tuesday afternoon holding some ofthe remains of the soldiers.

Some Hamas members said the movement would use the remains asbargaining chips to secure the release of militants held in Israelijails.

Witnesses said that Hamas was holding parts of the soldiersheads and one of their legs.

They said that while dozens gathered to look at the body parts,Hamas militants fired in the air "to express their happinesscarrying out the attack and killing the six soldiers".The Israeli army had earlier poured more troops into the area inan attempt to locate and extricate the remains of the soldierskilled in the explosion.

The soldiers conducted house-to-house searches in Zaytoon, whilecoming under heavy fire.

The army also set up roadblocks, dividing the Gaza Strip intothree parts, to prevent Palestinians from entering and leaving thearea.

The incursion into Zaytoon was launched to locate workshops usedto manufacture makeshift mortars and Qassam rockets fired againstIsraeli targets inside and outside the Strip, the army said.The explosives in the APC were to be used to destroy theworkshops, but they were set off by the roadside bomb and scatteredthe vehicle's parts over a large radius.

Both the Islamic Jihad group and the Islamic militant Hamasmovement issued leaflets claiming responsibility for destroying theAPC. Hamas also released a video showing the vehicle flying in theair after it was hit.

The army incursion, which began shortly after midnight, sparkedfierce fighting between the troops and local gunmen, during whichat least nine Palestinians were killed and 110 wounded, 10 of themseriously.

The dead included a local Hamas commander, an Islamic Jihadmilitant and a 10-year-old boy.

Witnesses and media reports said that during the fightingIsraeli helicopters fired five missiles at the neighborhood.The witnesses said the Israeli force was accompanied by aspecial undercover unit of soldiers disguised as Palestinians,while other soldiers picked out high buildings, broke into them,kept all residents in one apartment and took up positions on therooftops.

Local radio stations warned the civilian residents in Zaytoonnot to mingle with the militants and urged them to stay away or toremain at home and allow the gunmen to do their job.The APC was hit as the troops were pulling out of the area afterdestroying five workshops, said the residents

Following the soldiers deaths, Israeli Premier Ariel Sharoncancelled appointments and scheduled a meeting of his securitycabinet for Tuesday evening.

As the soldiers were searching for the body parts Tuesdayafternoon an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a car travellingin Gaza City's Shajaiyeh neighborhood, killing two people.The identities of the two were not immediately known but IsraelRadio said the strike was apparently aimed at Hamas militants.

Source: Xinhua