Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot and critically wounded two Hamas gunmen early Monday, in a fresh round of violence triggered by the firing of mortars at Israel from the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials and medics said.

The confrontation followed Israel Air Force strikes overnight against three Hamas targets, which came after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged unlimited military action aimed at halting rocket fire from Gaza that has killed two Israelis in the past week.

Hamas said soldiers aimed artillery fire at gunmen who had shot mortars toward Israel, in southern Gaza, before dawn.

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Medics said both were taken to hospital where they were listed in critical condition.

An IDF spokesman confirmed Palestinians had fired mortars from Gaza but not that soldiers had opened fire in return.

"We don't know of any artillery or tank fire" by soldiers in the area, the spokesman said.

The IAF launched a series of air strikes overnight, flattening at least two Hamas Executive Force targets in Gaza and aiming at a rocket crew, but causing no injury, Hamas sources said.

The IDF said that there were three Hamas posts targeted in the strikes, including a post near Dir al-Balah in southern Gaza, and two more posts Jabalya and Beit Lahia, both in the northern Strip.