Militants loyal to Hamas, the Palestinian ruling party, claimed "partial" responsibility for the attack.

The attackers, believed to number seven or eight, surprised Israeli forces when they appeared at first light through a tunnel on open ground 300 yards inside Israel near a kibbutz.

They split into three groups before launching simultaneous attacks on three Israeli defensive positions - a look-out tower, plus a tank and an armoured personnel carrier, both dug in, facing Gaza.

They blew open the tank's rear doors with a missile fired from point-blank range before tossing grenades inside.

Two of the tank crew died and another was severely wounded but the final crew member, the gu...

Militants loyal to Hamas, the Palestinian ruling party, claimed "partial" responsibility for the attack.

The attackers, believed to number seven or eight, surprised Israeli forces when they appeared at first light through a tunnel on open ground 300 yards inside Israel near a kibbutz.

They split into three groups before launching simultaneous attacks on three Israeli defensive positions - a look-out tower, plus a tank and an armoured personnel carrier, both dug in, facing Gaza.

They blew open the tank's rear doors with a missile fired from point-blank range before tossing grenades inside.

Two of the tank crew died and another was severely wounded but the final crew member, the gunner, was forced out of the wreckage at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, two other militants attacked a nearby concrete watchtower. One got inside and was climbing the spiral stairs when Israeli soldiers in the guardroom at the top of the tower fired down the stairwell and killed him, according to defence sources.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/1522370/Soldier-kidnapped-and-two-killed-in-Gaza-tunnel-attack.html