Israel has bombed a Gaza tunnel along the border with Egypt.

No casualties were reported in the raid on Monday, which targeted a tunnel under the town of Rafah.

The tunnel was suspected of being used to smuggle explosives into Gaza from Egypt, an Israeli military spokeman said.

Many Palestinians say the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt are a vital conduit for essential supplies, which have been made more scarce by Israel's blockade of the territory.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said the air raid was in retaliation for mortar and rocket attacks from Gaza against Israel.

"We aren't ready to accept rocket fire at our communities," he said on Monday.

Rocket attack

Two mortar rounds were fired at Israel's Erez border crossing with Gaza a day earlier, exploding 300 metres from the border, but not injuring anybody.

A rocket was also fired from Gaza on Saturday, exploding in open ground on the Israeli side of the border.

It is not clear who fired the rockets, but some small fighter groups in Gaza say Hamas has been trying to stop them firing at Israel, which controls the delivery of fuel and food aid to the territory.

But such raids by Israel have occurred less frequently recently, with Monday's attack the first of its kind in two months.

Hamas has been calling on Israel to lift its blockade and open the border crossings, but Israel says Hamas must first release captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom it has held for three years.