World Bulletin / News Desk

An Israeli air strike killed two Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday near the border with Israel and the enclave's ruling Hamas movement fired rockets across the frontier for the first time in more than a year.

Palestinian medical officials said the two men were civilians. The Israeli military said aircraft "targeted a terrorist squad identified handling an explosive device" in the central Gaza Strip near Israel's border fence.

Hamas group said its Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades fired four rockets into Israel in response. No casualties were reported.

Although other groups previously have launched rockets across the border, Hamas had held its fire under unofficial truces with Israel.

On Monday, Israeli air strikes killed four Palestinian fighters in the enclave, attacks which Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said moved the group's military wing "to take a firm stance" and launch rockets.