Israeli strikes kill two more Palestinians in Gaza

GAZA: Israeli aircraft on Sunday killed two Palestinians, one a 12-year-old boy, medical sources in Gaza said.

Medics said the boy was killed by an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip and identified him as Ayoub Assaleya. A Palestinian was killed in a separate strike in Gaza City, they said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed the strikes and said the army was checking on the reports that a boy was killed.

"Aircraft targeted a terrorist squad that was in the final stages of preparing to fire rockets at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip," a military statement said, adding that an additional strike targeted two rocket launching sites.

Sunday's attacks brought to 17 the number of Palestinians killed since Friday. (Reuters)