Gaza militants fire dozens of missiles into Israel

[Guest guest]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12795809

19 March 2011 Last updated at 12:11 ET

Gaza militants fire dozens of mortars into Israel

Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired dozens of missiles into southern Israel

in what appears to be their heaviest such barrage in two years.

About 50 mortars were fired - two Israelis were hurt, Israel says.

Israeli tanks later shelled targets in the coastal strip, wounding at least five

people, Palestinian officials say.

The Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza, said it fired some of the mortars.

Three days ago an Israeli air strike killed two of its members.

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza says this seems to be an escalation - both in

terms of the number of rockets fired from Gaza and the fact that Hamas said it

was responsible.

Hamas's military wing said it launched dozens of rockets, our correspondent

reports.

Hamas and Israel have largely halted hostilities since the end of the Gaza war

in January 2009, but skirmishes often break out around the border area.

Although members of Hamas's military wing rarely carry out attacks, the Israeli

military says it holds the group responsible for all militant activity in the

Gaza Strip.