RAFAH (Gaza Strip) Oct 13: Two Palestinians, one a toddler, were killed and more than 30 wounded in the Gaza Strip on Sunday when Israeli troops raided a crowded refugee camp and razed houses.

A militant was killed in an explosion in a telephone booth bringing the death toll to five.

The army demolished two homes which it said concealed arms-smuggling tunnels.

But the force of the blast brought down the walls of nearby homes, killing a three-year-old boy in one and wounding at least 25 people in others, according to Palestinian witnesses.

Witnesses and Palestinian medics said a 26-year-old local man was also killed by Israeli machinegun fire and five others wounded in the overnight tank raid into Rafah camp.

The army often raids Rafah in operations it says are aimed at destroying tunnels dug by militants to bring in arms and fighters into the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

It said soldiers had found one tunnel access point behind a baby’s crib and another in a kitchen in the latest operation.

Rafah is a militant stronghold and at least one Israeli army vehicle came under grenade attack during the raid.

Soldiers also shot dead two Palestinian gunmen as they tried to penetrate the Israeli town of Yevul near the frontier with Egypt. Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in the gunfight.

“We had a warning of a breach in the border fence and responded quickly with a pursuit. The two terrorists spotted us and opened fire. We shot them,” Major Gal Amar told Reuters.