Israel lost its first soldier in combat in nine months today in a confrontation with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, where the Islamist group seized control over rival Palestinian factions a month ago.
In the clash, which fell on the anniversary of the start of Israel's war with Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas a year ago, two Palestinian gunmen also were wounded.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed that Israel "will continue to fight" the militants in Gaza, where Israel has sought to isolate Hamas' rulers who refuse to recognize Israel.
An Israeli military statement said the soldier was killed in a raid on militant targets in central Gaza, where the army has stepped up incursions since Hamas routed forces loyal to the Western-backed Palestinian president last month.
The soldier was the first Israeli killed in combat since November, a military spokeswoman said. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack, while Israel wounded two gunmen of Islamic Jihad in an air strike.
Hamas's armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said its gunmen ambushed the Israeli troops as they entered the al-Bureij refugee camp in Gaza, by detonating explosives and firing rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns.
The Qassam Brigades vowed it would pursue its strikes against Israel "to sow death among the soldiers of the occupation in our beloved Gaza Strip".
Israel withdrew its forces and Jewish settlers from Gaza in 2005 but has pressed on with raids aimed at halting rocket fire at the Jewish state, particularly since Hamas's rout on June 14th of President Mahmoud Abbas's secular Fatah forces.
Nabil Amr, a spokesman for Mr Abbas, criticized the Israeli raid in Gaza, saying the Palestinian administration in the West Bank "totally rejected and condemned" it.