A Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli tank fire as she and a handful of other women demonstrated outside a mosque in Beit Hanun, witnesses said, bringing the death toll from Israel's incursion into Gaza to 14.
Mussada al-Huwaihi, a captain in the Palestinian security services, was killed early evening outside the mosque where around 100 Palestinian men had taken refuge after the Israeli army ordered all men between the ages of 16 and 45 to come to a local stadium, the witnesses said.
Earlier in the day, four other Palestinians including a 70-year-old man and two militants, were killed by Israeli fire in Beit Hanun, which was reoccupied by Israeli forces when they launched Operation Autumn Clouds early Wednesday, medical sources said.
During the day, Israeli helicopters hovered above the town as smoke rose from several buildings amid sporadic machine gun fire and explosions.
In an Arabic-language radio broadcast, the army urged residents to stay indoors: "The IDF (Israel Defense Force) has entered Beit Hanun and asks all the inhabitants to stay at home until further notice," it said.
Many residents were heeding the warnings.
"We haven't moved from here for two days," said Abu Luay Zaanin from his home on the outskirts of town. "They are shooting at anything that moves."
In all, 13 Palestinians, including seven militants, and an Israeli soldier have been killed in the operation, one of Israel's largest since militants seized a soldier in June.
More than 60 people, including three women and 10 children, have been wounded.
