_a.jpg "Photo: Amir Cohen")
IDF forces in Gaza
Photo: Amir Cohen
IDF tank shell kills Palestinian in Gaza
Palestinian wounded when tank shell struck his truck dies of his injuries; Palestinians say truck took wrong turn, approached Israeli forces in central Gaza
A Palestinian wounded when a tank shell struck his truck an hour earlier has died of his injuries, Palestinian hospital officials said early Friday.
Palestinians said the truck took a wrong turn and approached Israeli forces in central Gaza. A tank fired a shell, hitting the vehicle. The driver escaped, but a passenger was wounded and later died. The Israeli military said the truck drove within 50 meters of an Israeli position and ignored orders to stop.
Then a tank fired a shell at the truck, hitting it. Israeli forces have been operating inside Gaza since June 28, after Palestinian militants tunneled under the border and attacked an Israeli army post at a crossing, killing two soldiers and capturing a third.
Also early Friday, witnesses reported Israeli tanks moving in southern Gaza. The military said they were rotating forces in and out of the territory.
'Our hearts are with northern residents'
The Israeli Air Force attacked a bridge on a Gaza river located in the central part of the Strip.
IDF sources said the attack was aimed at reducing the risk that terrorists will attempt to move kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit and at disrupting the movement of Qassam rocket cells.
On Thursday Palestinian terrorists fired nine Qassam rockets toward Ashkelon and Sderot.
For unknown reasons, the Red Dawn alert system was activated intermittently, leading residents to complaint to security officials.
Military officials said the rockets were small and could not be identified by the system.
In a protest tent set outside the municipality building in Sderot protesters hanged a banner reading: "Our hearts are with northern residents."
