Seven Palestinians, including a mother and her four children, were killed and 20 wounded on Monday during an Israeli shelling on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, medics and witnesses said.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry, said among the seven killed, there are a mother and her four children, in addition to two militants.

He added that among the 20 wounded, three are in serious conditions.

Medics at Kamal Odwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip confirmed that a mother and her four children were killed; adding that the oldest child is seven and the youngest is only one-year old.

Residents in the town said several Israeli army tanks and armored vehicles backed by helicopters stormed the northern neighborhoods of the town closed to the borders with Israeli amid intensive gunfire.

They said an Israeli army tank fired several tanks' shells at the town during the incursion, adding that five civilians were killed and six wounded. All were taken by ambulances to a hospital in northern Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam Brigades, Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing, said in a leaflet that its militants contorted the Israeli army forces storming the town and wounded three soldiers.

The Israeli army operation into Beit Hanoun is carried out as several Palestinian militants groups are prepared to head later on Monday to Egypt to discuss a ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt with Israel.

Hamas movement agreed with Egypt on a proposed ceasefire with Israel, where Israel stops its military operations into the Gaza Strip and all Gaza militant groups stop rockets attacks on Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2008)