By Xinhua
Gaza : Three Palestinian militants were killed and two wounded in a fresh Israeli air strike before dawn on Thursday in northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, medics and witnesses said.
Witnesses said that an Israeli aircraft struck a group of militants gathered near the southern entrance to the town to confront the Israeli army tanks and vehicles which rolled into the town on Wednesday afternoon.
Medics at Kamal Odwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip said three people were killed and two wounded in the Israeli air strike.
Earlier on Wednesday, nine Palestinians were killed and six wounded in two separate attacks.
In the first attack, four militants, members of the Army of Islam were killed after an Israeli aircraft struck their car by two missiles.
In the second attack, five Palestinians were killed, including two members of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) armed wing, according to medics and witnesses in the town of Beith Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian witnesses said at least 40 tanks, armored vehicles, personnel carriers and bulldozers rolled into the area in northern Gaza Strip aiming at preventing militants from launching rocket attacks at Israel from Gaza.
Since Wednesday morning, militant groups fired more than 20 homemade rockets from northern Gaza Strip at southern Israeli towns. Damages were caused to an Israeli house, but no injuries reported.