A Hamas commander was killed and an Israeli soldier seriously injured during a gun battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Witnesses told that Israeli occupied forces fired heavily in border areas in Khuzaa and al-Qarara east of Khan Younis, killing Taysir al-Smeiri, 33, and injuring two others.
Hamas said al-Smeiri was the head of its reconnaissance unit in southern Gaza.
"A unit of the Israeli military engineering corps advanced into eastern al-Qarara town to the east of Khan Younis city and a sniper of the Qassam Brigades fired at them wounding two of the soldiers.," an Israeli army statement said.
Israel's army confirmed that an Israeli soldier suffered a severe chest injury and was evacuated to hospital.
On Nov. 23, Fadil Muhammad Halawah, 32, was shot dead by Israeli forces while hunting birds east of Jabaliya.
Heavy exchange of fire between Palestinian resistance fighters and IOF soldiers are currently raging in the area as IOF reinforcements are arriving to the scene of the clashes.
