Israel kills 2 Hamas militants in Gaza air strike

GAZA, June 11 (Reuters) An Israeli air strike killed two militants from the Hamas Islamic group in the northern Gaza Strip today after they fired rockets at Israel, Palestinian medics said.

The Israeli military said it launched a strike at militants attempting to fire rockets. Witnesses also said there had been a second explosion in the area, although the cause was unclear.

The killing of the Hamas militants was the first by Israel since the Islamists formally scrapped a 16-month truce with the Jewish state on Friday and resumed firing rockets and mortar bombs from Gaza. Three other Hamas militants were wounded in the air strike.

Hamas said it ended the truce in response to the killing of seven people on a Gaza beach during Israeli shelling.

Hamas has abstained from striking inside Israel since a truce was announced in early 2005. It had spearheaded a suicide bombing campaign since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000.

But Israeli officials have said Hamas has been helping other militant factions to carry out daily rocket launchings from Gaza, territory Israel quit last year.

The homemade rockets fired into Israel rarely cause casualties.

REUTERS SHB PM1409