Israeli forces have reached the coast of Gaza, splitting the besieged area in half and essentially cutting off the north from the south.

The violence marked a rare use of Israeli airpower in the territory. During the clashes, Palestinian militants detonated a roadside bomb next to an Israeli military vehicle.

Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinian gunmen who opened fire on troops in the occupied West Bank, the military said, the latest bloodshed in a year-long wave of violence in the region.

Israeli police say they shot and killed the gunman. The State Department condemned the "absolutely horrific" attack.