Israelis kill two Hamas militants in Gaza

Israeli aircraft killed two Hamas militants in Gaza fighting early today, a day after Israel sealed the territory and bombed an empty Hamas government ministry in an intensifying campaign to halt rocket fire on Israeli border towns.

In New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon implored Israel to reverse its decision to close the border crossings completely, warning that the cut-off of supplies is provoking a humanitarian crisis among 1.4 million Gazans.