GAZA (Agencies) -- An Israeli ground force pushed into the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, clashing with Palestinians and bulldozing areas of farmland, the army and residents said.

Local medics said a 17-year-old was in serious condition after being shot in the stomach in northern Gaza by the invading army.
Local residents said a group of armored vehicles bulldozed farm land in northern Gaza. Another force also entered southern Gaza, according to residents, but the army said there was no activity in the area.
Tensions between the Jewish state and Islamic resistance movement Hamas, which took control of Gaza in June, have increased sharply after a makeshift rocket fired into Israel by fighters wounded at least 35 Israeli army conscripts this week.
Separately, the Israeli army kidnapped 12 protesters at a rally near the West Bank city of Nablus after they hurled rocks at occupying soldiers and tried to force their way through a checkpoint, an army spokesman said.
Two of the protesters were Palestinian and the rest were Israelis and foreigners. One protester was lightly injured and taken to hospital, the spokesman said, adding that about 40 people attended the rally.
An Israeli newspaper website said the protesters were demonstrating against a planned road block in the area