Israeli raid kills one as talks continue

JERUSALEM, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- A Palestinian died when Israeli aircraft hit Hamas stations in Gaza Monday in retaliation for rocket fire into Israel, Palestinian officials said.

Israeli aircraft attacked a Hamas outpost and a structure belonging to its security forces in Khan Younis, Palestinian officials told Ynetnews.com. Palestinian officials said Islamic Jihad member Khaled Kaparana was injured in the strike and died of his wounds at a hospital.

The strikes were confirmed by Israeli military officials, who said they were ordered in response to two rockets fired into Israel Sunday. The first rocket landed in a parking lot in a western Negev kibbutz and the second hit south of Ashkelon. No injuries were reported.

The attacks and counterattacks came amid reports of progress made in negotiations on a cease-fire pact between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, the news service said. Included in the negotiations was a discussion of a prisoner swap that would see kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit returned to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Sunday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to discuss the Egyptian- and Turkish-brokered proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza and for Shalit's release.

A cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas could be signed within two days, the Egyptian newspaper al-Gomhuria reported Monday. The deal would be enacted in two stages -- first an oral agreement by both sides to hold fire followed by a written agreement for truce lasting at least a year.