Militants shell Israeli settlements in Gaza

Josef Federman, Jerusalem

The Israeli army said there were no injuries in the mortar attacks, but the flare-up in violence, which has included the fatal shootings of two Palestinians, has presented the first serious test to the truce declared by the Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar attacks, saying it was avenging the deaths of two Palestinians on Wednesday. One, a Hamas activist, was killed while handling explosives. The second, apparently a civilian, was killed by Israeli troops as he approached a Jewish settlement in southern Gaza, the group said.