Israel, Palestinian militants trade fire over Gaza

Israel and Gaza militants traded cross-border fire Wednesday, renewing deadly violence a day after Israeli strikes killed 15 people in the Palestinian territory.

Smoke billowed from the densely-populated coastal territory after Israel announced it was targeting rocket launching infrastructure held by Islamic Jihad militants.

Sirens warning of incoming fire then blared in the Tel Aviv area, an AFP journalist reported, as well as in communities close to the border, according to the army.

A Gaza health ministry official told AFP one person was killed in the Israeli strikes, while another was seriously wounded.

An AFP journalist in Gaza saw dozens of rockets fired by Palestinian militants, while a senior Israeli security official told journalists "more than 60 rockets" were launched.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it received no immediate reports of casualties from the rocket fire.

The latest violence comes a day after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others, including four children, according to a health ministry toll.

Israel's military said Wednesday's strikes included firing on militants "who were travelling to a rocket launch site in the city of Khan Yunis" in southern Gaza.

While Hamas has fought multiple wars with Israel in recent years, the group stayed on the sidelines of a three-day conflict fought between the country and Islamic Jihad in August. (AFP)