Two Hamas militants have been killed in air strikes by Israel's military, in response to Hamas rocket and gun attacks from Gaza that wounded two Israeli soldiers. Local media reported that one of the militant's projectiles struck a house in Israel but there were no injuries. Gaza health officials say two protesters were also killed after being shot during weekly demonstrations at the border.

A senior member of Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas has encouraged Palestinians across the globe to kill Jews, drawing outrage from both Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as a UN envoy.

In a video from a speech to participants of weekly protests on Friday, Fathi Hamad, a member of the movement’s top political body, can be heard calling on Palestinians across the globe to carry out attacks.

“If this siege is not undone, we will explode in the face of our enemies, with God’s permission. The explosion is not only going to be in Gaza but also in the West Bank and abroad, God willing,” Hamad said.

“But our brothers outside are preparing, trying to prepare, warming up.” He continued: “Seven million Palestinians outside, enough warming up, you have Jews with you in every place. You should attack every Jew possible in all the world and kill them.”

Since March 2018, Palestinians have been taking part in Hamas-backed protests and clashes along the Gaza-Israel border in part against the Jewish state’s crippling blockade of Gaza.

At least 295 Palestinians and seven Israelis have since been killed in Gaza-related violence.

The Israeli toll recently rose to seven after an 89-year-old woman who fell while running for a bomb shelter during a flare-up of violence in May died of her injuries, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, European Union and others.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the comments showed “what Hamas is about”.

“Hamas is behind the riots on the Gaza border... Hamas wants to murder Jews worldwide,” Mr Gendelman said on Twitter.

“Now you know why we protect the border with Gaza from Hamas.”

Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the West Bank-based Palestine Liberation Organisation, which unlike Hamas has recognised Israel, condemned Hamad’s comments.

“The just values of the Palestinian cause include love for freedom, justice and equality. The repugnant statement of Hamas leader Mr. Fathi Hamad about Jews doesn’t represent any of them,” he tweeted.

United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov also condemned the comments, labelling them a “dangerous, repugnant and inciteful statement! It must to be clearly condemned by ALL.”

In a statement later on Monday, Hamas distanced itself from Hamad’s words. “These comments do not represent the official positions of the movement and its consistent, adopted policies, which say our conflict is with the (Israeli) occupation which occupied our land and sullies our holy places and not a conflict with Jews across the world or Judaism as a religion,” it said.

Hamad issued his own statement, saying he was committed to the Hamas charter focused on “resistance against the Zionist occupation” of Palestinian land.

“Our resistance to the occupation will continue by all means, through arms or through the popular and peaceful struggle,” he said.

Hamas seized control of Gaza from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority in a 2007 near civil war.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in Gaza since 2008.

Israel says its blockade of the territory is necessary to isolate Hamas and keep it from obtaining weapons or material to make them.

Critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s two million residents and creates poverty that can feed extremism.