Israeli gunfire killed a 13-year-old boy in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday, Palestinian medical officials and witnesses said, dpa reported.
The witnesses said an Israeli ground force, backed by tanks and bulldozers entered an area near the border with Israel, east of the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis and exchanged fire with militants, who were stationed near local residents' homes.
The Israeli force was backed up by helicopters, who opened heavy fire on the militants, the witnesses said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, a spokesman of the Gaza Ministry of Health told reporters 13-year-old Hamid Abu Dagga was critically wounded in the head, and died on the way to hospital.
He said Abu Dagga was shot by gunfire from an Israeli helicopter.
An Israeli military spokeswoman in Tel Aviv said she was checking the report.