A militant from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was killed and three others were wounded at predawn on Wednesday as Israeli ground force invaded into eastern Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.

Witnesses said that several Israeli army tanks and bulldozers, backed by fighting helicopters, rolled into the town of Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis, and traded fire with Hamas militants.

Medics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that one militant was killed and three others were injured, adding that the four are all Hamas members.

Residents said that Israeli army bulldozers razed a large area of farms belong to Palestinian farmers in the town.

The latest death raised the death toll of Hamas militants killed overnight and Wednesday morning to five, medics said, adding that more than 30 people were wounded, most of them civilian in the area.

Four Hamas militants were killed overnight in two separate Israeli airstrikes on their cars in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military operation against the Gaza Strip came amid reports saying that Israel and the Palestinians were close to reach a deal on a prisoner swap mediated by Egypt.

Hamas and two minor militant groups claimed responsibility on June 25 for abducting an Israeli soldier and demanded Israel free women, children and 1,000 prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Source: Xinhua