Israel strikes Gaza after deadly border clashes

Hamas had responded to the killings with rockets into Israel, prompting the Jewish state to unleash an attack on its positions.

Late on Friday, "five projectiles were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel," the army said.

The projectiles hit open fields in southern Israel, an army spokesman told AFP.

In response, "aircraft and tank struck a number of Hamas military targets in the northern Gaza Strip, including a post and military positions," the army said in a statement.

A Hamas security source said there were no casualties resulting from the Israeli strikes.

Later on Saturday, a drone launched from southern Gaza crossed into Israeli airspace, the army said in a separate statement.

It "dropped what seems to be an explosive device" near the security fence, damaging a military vehicle before returning to Gaza.

In response, an Israeli "aircraft targeted the squad which launched the drone", the army said.

There were no reports of casualties in Gaza.

The exchange of fire came after two Palestinians aged 14 and 17 were shot dead by Israeli forces during border clashes on Friday, the Gaza health ministry said, with another 46 Palestinians wounded.

Palestinians have been holding regular mass protests dubbed the Great Return March along the fortified border since March 2018.

The protesters have called on Israel to end its crippling siege of the coastal enclave and demanded the right to return to lands their families fled during the war that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948.

Israel says any such return would mean its end as a Jewish state and accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of using the protests as cover for attacks.

At least 308 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, the majority during the demonstrations.

The protests have calmed in recent months.

Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.

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