Three Palestinian militants were killed in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip today, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a "powerful response" to any attacks from the territory.
An Israeli army spokesman said an Israeli aircraft carried out an air strike against militants spotted preparing to launch rockets towards Israel.
Palestinians said the three militants were killed in a field often used to launch rockets towards Israel.
Mr Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet session 20 mortar bombs and rockets had been fired at Israel from the Hamas-ruled territory last week. "I view this very seriously. The government's policy is clear, any shooting at our territory will receive an immediate and powerful response," he said.
Violence has risen along the Israeli-Gaza frontier in the past month, which could further complicate US-backed diplomacy in the region, after a respite following a three-week Gaza war a year ago in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died.
Three Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in Gaza on Thursday, including the first air raid in months to target a site inside Gaza City.
Reuters