JABALYA, Sept 9: Israeli forces thrust into Gaza's largest refugee camp on Thursday, killing four Palestinians including a nine-year-old boy, as the army tightened its grip on the northern part of the coastal strip.

Scores of gunmen fought a column of tanks and armoured vehicles as Israeli troops took up positions in and around the teeming Jabalya camp.

Helicopter gunships hovering overhead fired missiles into the camp of 100,000 inhabitants as Israeli forces sealed it off from the rest of the Gaza Strip. At least 32 people were wounded by Israeli fire. -Reuters