Palestinian fighters have attacked an Israeli army post on the Gaza-Israel border after crashing through a fence in a lorry and jeep, according to Palestinian sources.
The Israeli army on Thursday denied reports of the attack, which came after at least three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip earlier in the day.
The Islamic Jihad and Fatah-allied al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for attacking the post in southern Israel opposite central Gaza.
Abu Ahmed, A spokesman for Islamic Jihad, said in a statement that a truck crashed through a fence in central Gaza followed by an armoured jeep.
'Grenade attack'
The truck blew up inside an Israeli base and fighters inside the jeep began attacking soldiers with light arms and hand grenades, the statement said.
In the course of the clashes, an Israeli watchtower was blown up, it added.
But the Israeli army denied that Palestinian fighters had infiltrated into Israel or attacked a post.
Israeli aircraft, though, destroyed two cars in the area around the time the clashes are said to have occurred.
Islamic Jihad later said that six Palestinian fighters had been killed on Thursday by Israeli helicopter fire during an attack on an Israeli military post near the border with the central Gaza Strip.