Four members of Hamas have been killed and one more critically injured in an Israeli raid into the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials have said.

Israeli forces backed by tanks and aeroplanes launched the raid near the town of Jabalya on Thursday.

A Hamas official said those killed were members of their group.

Residents said Israeli tanks and heavy bulldozers broke the border fence to gain access to the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces regularly carry out raids in the Gaza Strip in what they say is an effort to stop Palestinian fighters from launching rockets into southern Israel.

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