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Middle East
Two die in air raid on Gaza tunnels
Israeli bombings near Rafah said to be in response to Palestinian rocket fire.
Last Modified: 03 May 2009 05:24 GMT
The Rafah tunnels are used by Palestinian groups to  ferry supplies covertly into Gaza [AFP]

The bodies of two Palestinians have been recovered from a tunnel in Gaza after it was bombed by Israeli aircraft, medical workers say.

The air raids, which targeted several tunnels running between Gaza and Egypt, took place on Saturday near the near the border town of Rafah, the Israeli military said.

The bombing came shortly after three mortar rounds were launched into Israeli territory from the northern Gaza Strip, causing no casualties.

The Palestinian Resistance Committees, an armed group operating in Gaza, said that it had fired the mortars.

Raids resume

The raids on Saturday came a day after Israel bombed a number of other tunnels, saying they were used to smuggle weapons into Gaza.

In depth


Analysis and features from after the war

The latest round of Israeli air raids are the first to target Palestinian tunnels in nearly two months.

Missile fire by Palestinian rocket squads has diminished since Egypt began efforts to ensure that a January 18 truce that ended Israel's 22-day offensive on Gaza holds.

Israel launched its war on Gaza with the stated aim of preventing armed groups in Gaza from firing rockets towards its territory.

At least 1,417 Palestinians were killed during the war, of whom 926 were civilians, a Palestinian human rights organisation says.

The Israeli military says the death toll was 1,166, of whom 295 were civilians. At least 13 Israelis, including three civilians, died over the course of the conflict.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old Palestinian farmer was wounded by Israeli army fire east of the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, medics said.

Source:
Agencies
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