By Xinhua
Jerusalem : A spokeswoman of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed to Xinhua on Saturday that two IDF soldiers were killed during a military operation in northern Gaza Strip.
The spokeswoman also confirmed that an officer and six other soldiers were injured in the same incident. The injured have been airlifted to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.
The two were killed during a fire exchange with gunmen, who apparently used an explosive device during the fighting, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth said.
Among the six soldiers injured in the incident, one suffered moderate wounds, five suffered light ones as they suffered mostly shrapnel injuries to their arms and legs.
Hamas sources said the IDF soldiers were hit by an improved anti-tank missile recently introduced to Gaza.
Several weeks ago, a Hamas official told Yedioth Ahronoth that the movement has been able to have missiles similar to those used by Lebanese Hezbollah in the war with Israel in July 2006, which have been smuggled into Gaza.
IDF operations in the Gaza Strip over the weekend have left 46 Palestinians dead, most affiliated with Hamas, the local daily added.
Palestinian militants fired over 40 rockets at Israel’s western Negev, Sderot and Ashkelon since the military operation began.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, 22 residents of Sderot and Ashkelon were transported to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for treatment on Saturday after being injured by the rocket attacks on the two southern Israeli cities.
One Ashkelon resident was moderately injured, six were lightly injured and ten suffered from shock. Five resident of Sderot were also treated for shock, said the paper.