Israeli airstrike 'kills nine'

An Israeli aircraft struck a group of Palestinians west of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip this afternoon, killing nine people, medical officials said.

The army said it had attacked a small group of gunmen, hitting two of them.

But the medical officials said nine people were killed.

It was not immediately known if they were militants or civilians.

In a separate incident, Israeli troops killed two gunmen during a shoot-out nearby.

The army had no information on the shooting.

The violence raised the death toll in today’s fighting to 17.