Israeli forces kill militant and woman in Gaza: medics

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant and a woman civilian in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Wednesday, medical workers said.

The Islamic Jihad militant group said one of its members was killed and six were wounded in an air strike near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops were also involved in the raid, withdrawing after nightfall. The body of a 30-year-old woman was later recovered from an area that had come under Israeli ground fire, medical workers said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said an air strike had targeted a group of Palestinian militants who were spotted by soldiers operating in the area. She had no immediate comment on the woman's death.

Israel frequently carries out air strikes and raids in the Gaza Strip, which it says are aimed at curbing cross-border rocket fire into southern Israel.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi)