2 Gazans Killed in Israeli Air Raid

An Israeli air strike killed two Palestinian teenagers near the central Gaza Strip town of Deir el-Balah early on Tuesday, a Palestinian medical official said.

"Two citizens were killed in an Israeli air strike," the official said. "The bodies were only recovered this morning when an ambulance could get to the scene."

It was not immediately clear if they were the same two who were earlier reported wounded or additional casualties just discovered.

Hospital staff named the dead youths as Mohammed Bassem Abu Mealiq and Yousef al-Talbani, both 17. Witnesses said they had been trying to breach the fence bordering Israel when they were hit.

Two men were earlier reported as injured in the strike, shortly after midnight (21:00 GMT).

The Israeli military confirmed hitting what it called a "terrorist squad identified handling an explosive device" near the security fence in the central Gaza Strip.

Four rockets were later fired into southern Israel's Hof Ashkelon district, with the military wing of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and generally maintains a tacit truce with Israel, making a rare claim of responsibility.