The Israel Air Force launched an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip Tuesday afternoon, killing at least militants and injuring at least two others, hospital officials said.
An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the airstrike, which came after mortar shells were fired at Israel's border crossing with the southern Gaza Strip of Kerem Shalom, reported dpa.
The armed wing of the radical Islamic Hamas movement ruling Gaza said its militants fired six such mortar shells at the crossing.
Several tanks crossed over the border toward the eastern outskirts of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah in response, residents said.
Israel has imposed a near-total closure of the Gaza Strip for 27 days now, in response to renewed rocket and mortar fire from the strip.