Schoolboy among Gaza victims of Israeli fire

Israeli air strikes killed two militants and a schoolboy in the Gaza Strip yesterday, as Palestinian rocket squads continued to bombard Israel.

Fighting continued to escalate in spite of international truce efforts. The violence, which began after Israel killed a top militant leader last Friday, has been the worst exchange of fire between Israel and the Hamas-ruled territory in months.

The fighting so far has killed 21 Palestinians, including 18 militants, seriously wounded two Israelis and disrupted the lives of a million Israelis living within the range of Gaza rockets.

The Israeli military said it had carried out nine air attacks against rocket-launching sites and a weapons storage facility. Islamic Jihad said two of its militants had been killed in separate raids.

A 16-year-old boy wearing a school uniform was killed when a group of civilians was struck in another attack, Gaza health official Adham Abu Salmia said.

More than 20 Palestinians, including several children, were injured in a separate pre-dawn strike in Gaza City, he added.

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said the raid had targeted munitions stored in a residential building.

The Israelis said the air attacks were in response to continued rocket fire. Schools in the area were closed for a second day to avoid casualties; a day earlier, a rocket struck the courtyard of one of the empty schools.

Militants also fired mortar shells into Kerem Shalom, the only cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza, through which 70 per cent of all goods that enter the Palestinian territory pass. Two vehicles were hit on the Palestinian side of the crossing, but no-one was injured.