By early afternoon, families near the Al-Musaddar area northeast of Deir Al-Balah said the bulldozers had demolished two homes and large swaths of olive groves.
They remained in the area until late in the afternoon.
The Chinese press agency Xinhua cited Gaza security sources as claiming that militants set off explosives near an Israeli army vehicle as four Israeli tanks and a bulldozer entered the Strip. The agency reported clashes. Residents told Ma'an they heard an explosion, reportedly an anti-tank shell, shortly before the bulldozers were seen.
Members of the Ibin Said family told Ma’an by phone that Israeli forces demolished two houses on the outskirts of Al-Masaddar. They said the homes belonged to Mu’een Ali Ibn Said and Salem Suleiman Ibin Said. According to Xinhua, the homes were at least 900 meters inside the Gaza Strip.
The family reported the destruction of chicken coups, as well.
An Israeli military spokesman said he had no knowledge of military activity in the area.
Israeli tanks and bulldozers levels two homes and bulldoze farm lands in central Gaza
Thursday February 18, 2010 17:22 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies
Israeli tanks and a number of bulldozers leveled on Thursday two Palestinian homes and demolished farm lands at central Gaza Strip.Bin-Sa'ed family, which owns the lands and the demolished two homes, told local media said that the army bulldozers uprooted olive trees near the family homes and then leveled the two homes while tanks opened fire. No injures were reported.
Local sources announced that the invasions started after Palestinian resistance groups fired a home made shell at a military jeep while driving at the Israeli boarders with the Gaza Strip.
