Palestinian medical workers say a young girl has been killed by Israeli tank fire in the Gaza Strip.

They say the girl's body was recovered from a house that was hit by a tank shell near Khan Younis.

A spokesman for the Israeli military said a ground force had attacked militants in the area attempting to fire rockets into Israel.

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The Hamas movement - which controls the Gaza Strip - said three of its members had been killed on Tuesday.

Palestinian medical officials said six-year-old Hadeel Smari was decapitated by the tank shell explosion while she was in the back yard of her house.

Two adult relatives were wounded in the attack, doctors said. Israeli officials said they were unaware of any civilian casualties.

Hamas said one of its gunmen was killed during the Israeli operation in the area.

Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet senior officials with security responsibilities to discuss the Gaza conflict.

Correspondents say it is unclear whether they will make any decisions, although there is public pressure to counter militant fire with more than the pinpoint tactics currently in use.

Four Israeli civilians have been killed by Palestinian rockets or mortars this year.

About 500 people, nearly all of them Palestinians killed in Israeli raids and more than half of those armed militants, have died in violence since the troubled Israeli-Palestinian peace process was revived in November 2007.

Israel has sealed off the Gaza Strip and blocks all but essential humanitarian supplies, while launching regular raids in an attempt to counter militant fire.

(BBC)

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