Two killed as Israeli strikes hit Gaza in fresh flare-up

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip today, the enclave's health ministry announced, as Israel's army said it was striking Hamas after its soldiers came under fire.

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip today, the enclave's health ministry announced, as Israel's army said it was striking Hamas after its soldiers came under fire.

The flare-up comes five days after a United Nations-brokered ceasefire helped halt an earlier surge in violence.

A third person was seriously injured in the strike east of Gaza City, a health ministry statement said, without giving their identities.

The Israeli army said it was carrying out a number of strikes on military targets belonging to the strip's Islamist rulers Hamas.

"A short while ago, terrorists fired at (Israeli) soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip," an army statement said, without mentioning any injuries to the troops.

"In response, the IDF is currently targeting military posts of the Hamas terrorist organization." There was no immediate comment from Hamas about the identities of the dead.

The shooting was the second such incident reported by the Israelis along the fractious border in days.

On Friday an Israeli soldier was shot dead, sparking a fierce wave of the bombing that ratcheted up fears of another war.

That violence was ended late Friday by a UN-brokered ceasefire. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

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