Israeli air strike in Gaza kills two: Witnesses

Gaza, Sep 29: An Israeli missile strike in the northern Gaza Strip killed two people today, Palestinian security services and witnesses said.

The Israeli military said it could not release details on the strike but said it had targeted people suspected of involvement in firing rockets into Israel.

Witnesses said the two were killed in Beit Hanoun, a northern district of the Gaza Strip, as they were riding bicycles in the street. It was not clear if the missile was launched from a fighter jet or an unmanned drone.

Israel has been pressing an offensive in Gaza for the past three months, since militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier in a cross-border operation. The soldier is still being held.

Around 220 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive, around half of them civilians, according to Palestinian medics and research groups.

As well as seeking to secure the release of the captured soldier, Gilad Shalit, Israel says the Gaza offensive is also designed to put a stop to militants firing makeshift rockets into Israel from northern parts of the strip.

Reuters