A 16-year-old Palestinian was killed Wednesday in southern Gaza Strip by Israeli soldiers, who have been conducting a military operation since predawn, Palestinian witnesses said.

They said that the soldiers and snipers who took up positions on the roofs in eastern Khan Younis city shot dead the boy and wounded two others, one of them in serious condition.

Earlier Wednesday, a militant from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was killed and three others were wounded as Israeli ground force invaded into the village of Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis.

On Tuesday night, four Hamas militants were killed 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