Israeli soldiers kill 3 Hamas militants in Gaza

GAZA, Apr 28 (Reuters) Israeli soldiers shot dead three members of Hamas's armed wing and critically wounded one other near the border between the Gaza Strip and southern Israel today, Palestinian rescue workers and militant sources said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the incident. The soldiers opened fire on three Palestinians militants who were placing explosive devices near the border fence, she said.

The armed wing of the ruling Hamas movement broke a ive-month-old ceasefire this week by firing rockets into Israel in response to the killing of nine Palestinians by Israeli forces last weekend.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided in talks with security chiefs on Wednesday to step up ''targeted attacks'' against Palestinian rocket-launching crews.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said the group would reassess its strategy in one to two months if international sanctions against the Palestinian government were not lifted.

Haniyeh leads a unity government with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction.

REUTERS SG VC1238