In an effort to halt the Kassam rocket attacks and hamper the Gaza terror infrastructure, IDF troops are operating in central Gaza since late Wednesday night. On Thursday a Kassam rocket fell meters from a Sderot school, several pupils were treated for shock. In intense gunbattles that erupted between IDF forces and Palestinian terrorists, at least 6 Palestinians have been killed, the majoriity affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committee and the Islamic Jihad.  An IDF soldier was seriously wounded when a bomb exploded near troops and earlier  a second soldier was lightly wounded during intense gunbattles that erupted between soldiers and terrorists. 12/20/07