Israeli army reportedly shelling areas of Gaza

Palestinian injured in Thursday\'s Gaza attacks Israeli forces reportedly carried out small operations in or near Gaza on Thursday morning, with officials on both sides giving conflicting accounts of events. According to Palestinian officials, Israeli forces crossed into the town of Beit Lahiya, detaining at least a dozen Palestinians and injuring one. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed military activity at the location but described it as \"routine,\" adding that no injuries were reported and that the IDF was checking on claims of detentions.
Both sides also confirmed there was a separate incident east of Gaza City.
Palestinian sources have told Arabstoday that Israeli forces also infiltrated the al-Fakhary neighbourhood in the city of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said eight bulldozers and tanks entered the area from the Sofa military base. Witnesses also said that the ground operations were accompanied by reconniassance aircarft flying at low altitudes.
Palestinian medical and security officials said the Israeli army fired three tank shells east of Gaza City, injuring seven civilians -- three critically -- in a field, but an IDF spokesperson described a completely different course of events.
The IDF said it believed the Palestinians were trying to lay roadside explosives.
Around 20 farmers were caught in the shelling, said witnesses. An emergency services spokesperson, Adham Abou Sleima said they received reports of injuries, adding that ambulances immediately rushed to the scene. He added that some of the wounded in eastern Gaza were hospitalised after being hit by Israeli shells in Gaza\'s eastern Shijia neighbourhood.
Israeli soldiers also fired shots toward suspected militants approaching the border fence near the Karni crossing, dispersing the group, according to the IDF spokesperson. There was no \"military tank fire used in the operation,\" an Israeli military official said.
The IDF refuted the casualtiies and said a group of Palestinians riding in a private vehicle approached a patrol unit near the defunct Karni crossing, which lies to the east of Gaza City. Despite orders from IDF soldiers for the car, which was speeding towards the border, to slow down, the driver allegedly continued at speed.
Sources in the IDF told Israel Radio that soldiers fired a number of shots in the air.
Palestinian medical and security officials described a third event, saying Israeli military crossed 500 metres into Palestinian territory south of Gaza City but that the activity passed without incident.
The IDF spokesperson did not confirm the event.
Israeli radio however cited an IDF spokesperson as saying it had been decided to impose a media blackout on events in northern Gaza, noting that casualties were \"expected to take place in the Israeli army\" during such incidents.
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said that Israeli military escalation in the Gaza Strip was \"an expression of confusion and helplessness by the enemy after its loss in the prisoners’ case\".
Fawzi Barhoum, the spokesperson of the movement said in a press conference that Israel was  seeking to divert the attention of the world from the prisoners who had gone on hunger strike. He called on Palestinian people to stand united and work on curbing the aggression, demanding Arab support to protect the Palestinians and pressure Israel to halt the escalation.