During the operation which ended early Tuesday morning, tanks and infantry moved more than one kilometer into the Gaza Strip. Most of the locals held by troops have been released, but four have been sent to Israel for questioning, the Israel Defense Force press service said.
Israeli infantry and tanks met with no armed resistance in the latest of a series of incursions into Gaza, the Israeli military said.
Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, after almost four decades of military occupation. After months of fighting with Palestinian militants in the second half of 2006, the sides agreed on a cease-fire in November, which was shattered in May by rocket attacks by militants against southern Israel.
Israel has been responding to the rocket attacks with pinpoint air strikes, that have killed over 50 Palestinians.
Factional violence between gunmen of Palestinian radical group Hamas and pro-presidential Fatah continued in Gaza on Tuesday, two weeks after a fragile ceasefire. The number of casualties has not yet been reported.
