Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after rocket fire

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Israel targeted Hamas in air strikes on Gaza early on Saturday after rockets were fired at it from the Palestinian enclave, the army said, two days after a fragile ceasefire began.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that has de facto control over the Gaza Strip, had been spared the brunt of Israeli bombardment during this week’s flare-up which focused on its hardline ally Islamic Jihad.

A ceasefire has been in place since Thursday morning following the wave of tit-of-tat air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Islamic Jihad -- the territory’s second most powerful militant group.

The army said it launched Saturday’s strikes after "two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory" and were intercepted by air defences.

It was not immediately known who fired the rockets.

Palestinian security sources said the Israeli strikes were aimed at two Hamas sites in the north of the territory.

"Among the sites targeted was a military camp of the Hamas terror organisation and a military compound used by the Hamas naval forces," a statement from the Israeli military said. "In addition an underground terror infrastructure was also targeted."