Israeli PM vows swift retaliation to any rocket fire

PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed yesterday to launch an “immediate and powerful response” to any rocket fire at Israel after days of increased tension along the border with Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Medics in Gaza reported two Palestinians were killed in cross-border fire yesterday, but rescue workers found no remains at the site where explosions were heard in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesman denied any troops had operated there.

Three Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in Gaza on Thursday, including the first air raid in months to target a site inside Gaza City.