IAF strike kills two Hamas militants in southern Gaza Strip

Two Hamas militants were killed and one was injured when the Israel Air Force struck a Hamas post in the southern Gaza Strip Saturday, the Islamic group said.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed a strike on a post near Khan Yunis, which he said came in response to mortar fire from the coastal territory.

"The IDF will continue to target the Hamas terrorist organization as long as it will continue to fire mortars at Israeli communities," an IDF statement said.

Hamas said the post was a training camp for the military wing of the Islamic group.

Over the weekend, roughly ten mortar shells were fired at Israel from Gaza. They landed in open fields near the Erez Crossing and the Oz River, but caused no injuries or damage. Palestinian militants also fired two Qassam rockets at Israel, one of which landed in an open field, and the other in the northern Gaza Strip.

The IAF frequently conducts air strikes in the Gaza Strip in an effort to curb daily Qassam rocket strikes on southern Israel.

During the high-profile visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Israel and the West Bank this week, there was no IAF activity over Gaza. The last air strike on the Strip took place early Sunday, and killed a militant from the Popular Resistance Committees.

On Wednesday, roughly ten Qassam rockets and 12 mortar shells were fired at Israel from Gaza, with most of them landing in the western Negev town of Sderot. Two homes were damaged and a 17-year-old girl was lightly hurt by shrapnel. Two Palestinians who the military said were involved in the rocket attacks were killed by IDF fire soon after.

	Palestinians wheeling the body of a Hamas militant killed in an IAF strike on Gaza Saturday. (AP)