GAZA CITY, Nov 16: An Israeli air strike killed four armed Palestinians after two rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel on Sunday as its leaders prepared to review its crippling blockade of the aid-dependent strip.

“There was an aerial attack against a (rocket) launching squad in the northern Gaza Strip a few minutes ago,” an Israeli army spokesman said. “The force identified hitting them.”

The head of the emergency services in Gaza, Moawiya Hassanein said: “Four resistance fighters were killed in an Israeli raid in an eastern neighbourhood of Gaza City and were taken to Gaza hospital.”

The raid came shortly after two rockets hit uninhabited areas of Israel without causing any casualties or damage, the army spokesman said.

Amid the renewed exchanges, Israel maintained the crippling blockade of Gaza that it has imposed almost continuously since Nov 5, forcing the United Nations to suspend food distribution to 750,000 people and the territory’s sole power plant to shut down.

“The crossings will remain closed until further orders,” said Israel’s liaison officer for the Palestinian territories, Peter Lerner.—AFP