GAZA, Sept. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- At least four Palestinians were killed and about 40 others wounded on Thursday by Israeli troops' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said.

    They said that the number of casualties is mounting as the Israeli army forces intensified its operations in the area, mainly in Beit Lahya and the outskirts of Jabalya refugee camp. Witnesses said that Israeli troops fired tank shells and missiles at local residents' houses in the area.

    Palestinian medics said that a child is among the four killed, adding that Israeli snipers seized the roofs of several buildings and opened fire at anything moving, either human beings or animals.

    Meanwhile, Israeli troops stationed in the northern Jabalya area in the northern Gaza Strip fired on Thursday from machine-guns and tanks at a Palestinian medical crew when their ambulance was trying to cross the area, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.

    They added that one of the medical team was seriously injured as the ambulance was trying to reach al Sekka area between Jabalya refugee camp and Beit Lahya in the northern Gaza Strip.

    In another development, a member of Izel Dein al Qassam, armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), was killed by Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. The group said in a leaflet that the militant, originally from the town of Jabalya, was killed as he was fighting with Israeli soldiers who raided the northern Gaza Strip area.

    The militant was killed near Beit Lahya before dawn, when an Israeli Apache helicopter opened fire with a machine gun on a groupof people, said Palestinian security officials and local residents. Enditem