Israeli army kills boy and two gunmen in Gaza fighting

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli army forces killed an 11-year-old Palestinian boy and two militants in a cross-border raid into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Friday, Hamas and medical officials said.

Medical officials said the boy was struck by bullets in the head and chest. Two militants and three civilians were also wounded in the clash, the officials said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said forces were operating in the area and that she was checking whether any Palestinians were hit during the clashes.

Hours earlier, Israeli air strikes killed two Palestinian gunmen belonging to Islamist Hamas near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. Seven other gunmen were wounded in the attacks, the medical officials said.

The army confirmed the overnight air strike.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday vowed Israel would strike Hamas after Gaza militants killed two Israeli civilians at a border terminal with Israel.

Israel frequently mounts raids into the Gaza Strip in what it says is an attempt to stop militants from firing rockets at southern Israeli towns.

Hamas seized Gaza after routing forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in June.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)