Israeli air strike targets building in Gaza

GAZA, Sep 20 (Reuters) Israel carried out an air strike on a house in the militant stronghold of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early today causing no casualties, the Israeli military and Palestinian witnesses said.

''There was an aerial attack on a house which was used as a facility to store weapons,'' an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

She added that residents had been warned in advance to leave the building.

Witnesses said the house, which was destroyed, belonged to a Palestinian militant. It was unclear which faction the militant belonged to. They added that the house had been vacated before the attack.

Israel has carried out frequent air strikes on the territory during an offensive launched in late June after gunmen from Gaza abducted a soldier in a cross-border raid.

More than 210 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, have been killed during the offensive, which Israel says is also aimed at stopping militants from firing makeshift rockets into Israel.

REUTERS DKS BST0452