Israeli soldier killed in Gaza ground offensive

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JERUSALEM -- The Israeli army said Friday one of its soldiers was killed in northern Gaza, becoming the first military casualty since Israel launched a ground offensive in the Palestinian territory.

"There were a number of events during the night," military spokesman General Moti Almoz told army radio. "The incident in which a soldier was killed, we are checking the circumstances now and when we know them all we shall release the findings."