Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault     

    JERUSALEM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said on Monday that a soldier killed in northern Gaza last week was a victim of friendly fire.

    The army said in a statement that initial investigation showed that Staff Sergeant Yehuda Bassel was killed when his unit was operating under heavy fire in a difficult and complex terrain in an operation to uncover tunnels and explosive devices near the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya on June 6.

    The statement said that Bassel was killed by Israeli army fire, without revealing further details.

    The Israeli army declared last Thursday that one of its soldier was killed as Israeli troops encountered fierce Palestinian resistance in northern Gaza.

    The army said that the soldier was seriously wounded by gunfire in the head and died of his wounds shortly after being evacuated to hospital.

    Israeli troops have expanded a massive ground operation in the Gaza Strip in a bid to free an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants and halt Palestinian rocket attacks. About 50 Palestinians including civilians have been killed since the start of the offensive on June 28. Bassel has been the only Israeli military death in the operation so far. Enditem