CEOAFRICA gathered that Israeli warplanes have carried out raids in Gaza and troops have entered the strip with bulldozer tanks.

According to the report, the jets attacked areas on Thursday in the Zaiton area, southeast of Gaza city, and Biet Hanon, to the north and earlier, Israeli media said two rockets had been fired from the strip into Isreal, which landed in an empty area. 

Meanwhile a source quoted witnesses as saying that Israeli troops backed by armour entered the strip on Thursday, drawing mortar fire from Palestinian fighters, without immediately reporting any casualties.

Another source still said that six military bulldozers accompanied by several tanks entered about 200 metres from the border into farmland, as helicopters and spy planes circled above near the village of Khuzaa.

Palestinian group Islamic Jihad is reported to have said that its fighters responded to the incursion with mortar fire.

However, there were no injuries reported in Gaza from the air raids.