An Israeli soldier was killed and a Palestinian man was martyred during an exchange of fire in the southern Gaza strip on Friday morning.

An Israeli soldier was killed and a Palestinian man was martyred during an exchange of fire in the southern Gaza strip on Friday morning.

AFP news agency quoted sources in the Islamic Jihad group as identifying the Palestinian martyr as Ahmed Nasser, 23, adding that he was a member of movement.

Security sources in Gaza said that Israeli aircraft attacked Palestinians on a motorcycle east of the city of Khan Yunis, and that there were reports of casualties.
Palestinian sources said the shelling, east of Khan Yunis, resulted in the burning of a three-hectare (7.4-acre) wheat field.

Witnesses said that following the exchange of fire, Israeli soldiers backed by tanks entered Palestinian territory east of Khan Yunis and captured one person.

For its part, an Israeli army statement said: “An Israeli soldier... was killed earlier this morning,” adding that the Palestinian “was identified infiltrating Israel from the southern Gaza Strip.”
Military sources also said that aircraft and tanks fired warning shots into the Strip.

Israeli media reported that the clash took place around 5 a.m. after a Palestinian tried to cross the border into the occupied Palestinian territories, adding that the Israeli soldier was from Golani force.

Reuters also cited local witnesses heard shooting near Abassan, a border village in southern Gaza that is also close to the Egyptian frontier. They said Israeli forces set off smoke bombs to obscure the view as helicopters landed at the scene.