Israeli ground troops on border where Gaza incursion took place
(25 Jun 2006) Kerem Shalom, south of Gaza Strip (filmed from Israeli side) 1. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) helicopter landing in Kerem Shalom area 2. Medium of IDF soldiers getting out of helicopter 3. Various of IDF soldiers holding military equipment 4. Medium of IDF soldiers standing by helicopter 5. IDF soldiers getting into helicopter 6. IDF helicopter leaving Rafah (filmed from Palestinian side) 7. Wide of IDF tanks wandering in fields around Kerem Shalom 8. Wide of IDF helicopter in air (UPSOUND) gunfire 9. IDF tanks wandering in Rafah fields Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 25 June 2006 10. Medium of IDF boat in sea at Gaza City beach 11. Building in Gaza City 11. Military boats in Gaza City beach STORYLINE: Israeli forces gathered in an area near the Gaza border in southern Israel on Sunday following an attack on Israeli forces close to the Kerem Shalom and Sufa border crossings. Israeli ground troops entered Kerem Shalom, south of the Gaza Strip early on Sunday after Palestinian militants infiltrated southern Israel through the coastal strip, attacking a military post and killing two Israeli soldiers before three gunmen were shot dead, the Israeli army, militants and witnesses said. One Israeli soldier was also missing, the army said. Earlier on Sunday, Palestinian militants said they had the body of an Israeli soldier. The strike, the first of its kind since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip last August, came days after Israel warned that militants were planning an attack on the area, an alert that caused the Gaza-Egypt border to be shut down for several days last week. Gaza crossings were closed on Sunday morning, following the attack near the Sufa crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip. The small Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack, saying militants from the ruling Hamas group and from a previously unknown group, the Islam Army, participated in the attack. At least five other Israeli soldiers were wounded in the attack, including three from a bomb detonated shortly after the initial strike, the army said. Residents in the nearby communal farm said the Palestinian militants had infiltrated the military post through a tunnel dug under the border fence. Hours later, Israeli ground troops entered the Gaza Strip, their tanks blowing up smoke and dust as they made their way about 1 kilometre (one-half of a mile) into the Palestinian-controlled territory, an Associated Press reporter in the area said. Palestinians were ordered to evacuate the area, while helicopter gunships fired their machine-guns at open fields. Two Apache helicopters were seen flying low over the area as the troops entered and an Israeli gunboat was visible from the beach in Gaza. The army confirmed a small force had entered Gaza to search the tunnel area. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
