1.   An army statement said the strikes were a response to a Palestinian mortar attack on Saturday that killed an army reserve soldier guarding the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom.

2.   But the Israeli army denied responsibility, saying that Palestinian mortar rounds were to blame.

3.   Israeli troops seized the land in a tactical move to counter Palestinian mortar attacks on an Israeli town on Monday.

4.   Powell also denounced Palestinian mortar attacks on Israelis, but the criticism of Israel was among the harshest from America in years.

5.   Secretary of State Colin Powell rebuked Israel last week for sending tanks into Gaza following Palestinian mortar attacks on the Israeli town of Sederot.

6.   The battles followed an unsuccessful Palestinian mortar attack on a Jewish settlement and a roadside bombing that injured a soldier.

7.   The soldier who was killed was the first Israeli to die in a Palestinian mortar attack.

8.   This week for the first time, Israeli troops used mortar fire, which was in response to Palestinian mortar fire.

9.   With the region on edge, Palestinian mortar fire struck deeper into Israel than ever before and the Israelis responded Monday night by bombarding Palestinian security installations in Gaza.

10.   Palestinian mortar fire struck a building and agricultural areas of two settlements Saturday in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army.