Israeli special forces soldiers have this evening killed a Hamas commander after launching a bid to kidnap him which resulted in a gun battle that caused casualties on both sides, according to reports.


Palestinian officials have said that Israeli security forces killed a commander from the Hamas Islamist group in the Gaza Strip today. They said a group of Hamas men were fired at from a passing car. Local witnesses also said Israeli planes fired over 20 missiles into open areas in the area where the incident took place.


Sunday's exchange of fire came as Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers appeared to be making progress toward an unofficial cease-fire. Israel last week allowed Qatar to deliver $15million to Hamas, while Hamas scaled back its weekly demonstration along the Israeli border. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting. Shortly after the exchange of fire, air raid sirens sounded in southern Israel, indicating rocket fire from Gaza.


Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said all Israeli soldiers involved had returned to Israel. 'IDF operated in the Gaza Strip, exchange of gunfire ensued,' he wrote on Twitter, referring to the Israel Defence Forces. 'All IDF soldiers back in Israel. Several alarms have sounded in southern Israel.' A Hamas spokesman denounced a 'cowardly Israeli attack.'


Just last month Palestinian protesters launched flaming kites and incendiary balloons towards Israel in a fresh outbreak of violence in Gaza which left 130 people injured. Thousands of Palestinians massed along the border on Friday, October 19 in a protest co-ordinated by Hamas which saw some demonstrators breach the perimeter fence.

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