"Our combattants fired an Al-Battar (sword) missile on Friday made by the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades on an Israeli tank in Beit Hanun (northern Gaza Strip)," a statement said.

The missile hit the tank successfully, the statement said.

The army said earlier Saturday that Israeli troops had come under fire from an anti-tank rocket.

A number of home-made rockets of the Qassam type made by the Hamas fighers were fired across the border Friday morning by the armed wing of the Brigades, the army said.

One of them damaged a house in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, not far from the Nevev desert ranch of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but no one was seriously injured.

Sharon and Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz later visited Sderot and decided to launch a military operation against Beit Hanun.

Overnight, Israeli forces attacked the town. A 16-year-old boy was killed and about 20 Palestinians wounded in the fierce gun battles that followed.

On Saturday morning, Israeli forces dyamited four road overpasses, cutting Beit Hanun off from Gaza City.

SPACE.WIRE