One Palestinian killed as Israel strikes Gaza

A Palestinian fighter was killed by Israeli shelling on Monday after Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip following fresh rocket fire from the besieged territory, medics and security sources said.

Khaled al-Kafarneh, 22, was killed when an artillery shell hit his house in Beit Hanun in the north of the Hamas-run territory, medics said.

Islamic Jihad said the Palestinian was a member of its armed wing and that he was killed by Israeli fire near the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun while trying to attack Israeli troops along the frontier.

The Israeli army said it was checking into the reports.

Israeli warplanes also carried out air strikes in the south of the territory, causing damage but no injuries, after militants fired two rockets into Israel on Sunday.

The violence comes as Egypt continued efforts to broker a lasting truce in the strip to replace shaky mutual ceasefires called by Israel and Hamas on January 18, ending Israel's massive 22-day war on the impoverished territory.

An Israeli helicopter also carried out a raid in an unpopulated area of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, but caused no casualties.

Palestinian fighters fired two rockets on Sunday into southern Israel that caused no injuries, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Militants have fired about 40 rockets and mortar rounds since the end of the war, which left 1,330 Palestinian and 13 Israelis dead.

Israel, which launched its offensive on December 27 with the stated aim of stemming rocket attacks, has warned of "the severest riposte" to any further rocket fire.

Hopes of truce

Egypt has voiced hope that a Gaza truce accord between Israel and the Hamas can be reached in the next few days.

Israel has kept the densely populated territory closed to all but essential supplies since June 2007 when Hamas seized power, ousting forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

With his opinion poll lead narrowing ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary election, right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip and proposed focusing peace talks with the Palestinians on economic issues.

His main opponent, the centrist Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, said she would continue U.S.-sponsored land-for-peace talks, an outcome favored by the new Obama administration in Washington.