TEL AVIV, JULY 9, SPA -- AN ISRAELI SOLDIER KILLED LAST WEEK DURING A MILITARY OPERATION IN THE NORTHERN GAZA STRIP WAS MOST LIKELY SHOT BY ISRAELI FORCES, AN ARMY COMMANDER SAID SUNDAY. THE SOLDIER WAS THE FIRST ISRAELI CASUALTY IN THEOFFENSIVE THAT BEGAN JULY 28, AFTER AN ISRAELI SOLDIER WAS KIDNAPPED IN AN ATTACK ON AN ARMY BASE NEAR THE GAZA STRIP. THE SOLDIER, STAFF SGT. YEHUDA BASSEL, WAS SHOT IN THEHEAD DURING AN AMBUSH OPERATION NEAR THE TOWN OF BEITLAHIYA. AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT BASSEL WASSHOT BY FRIENDLY FIRE, COL. TAMIR YADAI, AN ISRAELICOMMANDER IN GAZA, TOLD ISRAELI ARMY RADIO SUNDAY. «WE ARE IN THE ADVANCED STAGES OF THE INVESTIGATION,»YADAI SAID. «WE BELIEVE ... YEHUDA WAS SHOT BY FRIENDLYFIRE.» MORE THAN 40 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THEOFFENSIVE. THE ARMY INVESTIGATION INTO BASSEL’S KILLING WILL PROBABLY BE COMPLETED LATER SUNDAY, YADAI SAID. --SPA 09/07/2006 11:25 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/374284