Israeli forces rolled into the eastern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning and exchanged fire with Palestinian militants, witnesses and Hamas movement said.

The incursion took place to the east of al-Burij refugee camp in Central Gaza Strip where the Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled for 300 meters, according to the witnesses.

The military wing of Hamas, the Islamic movement which controls Gaza, claimed responsibility for firing four mortar shells at the invading troops.

Later, Hamas said the Israeli army withdrew its forces from the area. There were no reports of casualties in both sides.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that three mortars landed this morning in an open area in Western Negev.

The attacks occurred as Hamas tries to convince the Palestinian militant groups to halt firing rockets into Israel for the time being in a bid to meet Egyptian efforts to broker a ceasefire in the territory.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2009)