Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters have clashed in the Gaza Strip, leaving one Israei soldier dead and two slightly wounded.
About 10 tanks and two bulldozers backed by helicopters moved before dawn about 500m into farming fields near the Bureij refugee camp, Palestinian witnesses said.
Hamas said that its fighters detonated two large mines in response, injuring soldiers.
The Israeli army said the soldier had been killed in an operation against "terror threats" and that when gunmen approached their troops, Israeli aircraft had fired on them and identified hitting them.
Palestinians injured
Hamas said two Palestinians were injured, one, a fighter, seriously.
The movement said that its fighters later fired two rocket-propelled grenade launchers at an army bulldozer, setting it on fire. The army said no damage was caused.
Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel persisted during the operation.
Islamic Jihad said it fired one rocket toward the southern Israeli town of Sderot but no injuries were immediately reported.
Israeli troops frequently enter the Gaza Strip to conduct operations against rocket launching squads and destroy tunnels used to smuggle weapons.
Soldiers have conducted several such incursions since Hamas took control of the coastal area in the middle of June.
Israel evacuated army bases and nearly 9,000 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip almost two years ago.