Updated

A militant was killed and six other Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy, were wounded in clashes between Israeli troops and militants in northern Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian doctors said.

Late Friday, troops killed an unarmed Palestinian who approached a border crossing, medics said.

Israeli troops have been on an offensive in northern Gaza against militants who fire rockets at Israeli communities just over the border. On Saturday morning, tanks fired from mounted machine guns toward a group of men near a housing project outside the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, critically wounding three, doctors said.

One died later of his wounds and was identified as a gunman from the Islamic Jihad group. The military said it fired at two armed men who approached troops.

In the same area, the Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV reported that tank fire hit between its office and an adjacent kindergarten, sending TV employees and children running for cover. Sami Ayoub, an employee at the kindergarten, said no one was hurt and the 45 children were taken to safety.

Gunfire could be heard on the Al Aqsa broadcast. The army said it wasn't aware of military operations at that site.

Hours later, west of the Jebaliya refugee camp, a 12-year-old boy was shot in the head and critically injured while standing outside his house, hospital officials said. Troops and militants were trading fire in the area, but the army said it had no information on this incident.

The Israeli campaign against rocket operations has not curbed them, and a home in the southern town of Sderot took a direct rocket hit on Saturday. No injuries were reported.

Shortly after, a tank shell struck a car near the town of Jebaliya, slightly injuring two militants and a 14-year-old boy, medics said.

The Israeli army said it targeted militants who fired the rocket at the house.

Late Friday, three men who approached the Karni crossing between Gaza and Israel came under army fire, doctors and the Israeli military said. An unidentified man was found dead, medics said.

The army said the three raised the suspicion of the soldiers who opened fire. It later turned out the men were unarmed, it said.