Two Palestinians dead in Gaza clash
From Alessio Vinci (CNN)
RAFAH, Gaza (CNN) -- Two Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded Wednesday in a clash between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli soldiers at a refugee camp in southern Gaza, hospital officials said.
The Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers were clearing a road when they were fired on, and they returned fire. Palestinian sources confirmed a clash between the two sides.
The clash began at 2:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. EDT) and continued late into the afternoon. It began several hours after Palestinians said four Israeli bulldozers rolled into an already damaged portion of the refugee camp Wednesday morning and flattened several houses.
The IDF denied any houses were damaged. They said the bulldozers were involved in the road-clearing operation.
Israeli forces patrol the area -- the scene of periodic clashes -- near the border between southern Gaza and Egypt.
In the past, the IDF has said that Palestinian gunmen have used houses near the border crossing to fire on Israeli soldiers.
