A pregnant mother and her 14-month-old baby girl have been killed by an Israeli airstrike, as cross-border violence continues near Gaza, Palestinian officials have claimed. Israel disputed the claim.

Seba Abu Arar, was killed when an Israeli airstrike hit her home in east Gaza City, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Her pregnant mother, aged 37, was severely wounded and died later at hospital. Another child was slightly injured.

Israel disputed the claim that she had been hit by an airstrike.

Officials said they had been hit by one of hundreds of rockets fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip. They said one of the projectiles had fallen short of its target and landed in the Gaza strip.

Israel responded with dozens of retaliatory airstrikes and tank shelling on at least 30 different militant targets.

Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Show all 10 1 /10 Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters burn tires during a demonstration on the Israel border on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters climb the fence along the border with Israel during a demonstration AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters holding national flags walk past burning tires during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a head band as he takes part in a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel, east of Gaza City on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters and a medic run to pick up a child during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border Palestinian protesters run through smoke from tear gas and burning tires during a demonstration near the fence along the border with Israel on February 22 2019 AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A man carries the Palestinian flag during a demonstration near the border fence with Israel AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester wears a mask painted in the colours of the national flag during a demonstration on the Israel border AFP/Getty Palestinian protesters light fires along the Israel border A Palestinian protester returns a tear gas canister thrown by Israeli troops during a demonstration on the border AFP/Getty

Blaming a missile from an Israeli plane, Seba’s aunt said shrapnel had hit the child and killed her.

“They were sitting at the yard in their house with their mother.” added Abu Nidal Abu Arar, a relative living next door. “They were shocked by a missile landing on them. This occupation is criminal.”

Hostilities had earlier broken out in the region on Friday, when a Palestinian militant sniper fired at Israeli troops and wounded two soldiers, Israel’s military said.

The country retaliated with an airstrike that killed two militants from the armed Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.

Two other Palestinians protesting near the border were killed by Israeli forces on Friday, Palestinian officials said.

Hamas, which controls Gaza and Islamic Jihad, a separate militant group, fired waves of rockets into Israel early on Saturday.

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At least 13 other Palestinians were wounded on Saturday and two men, aged 22 and 25, were also killed, health officials in Gaza said.

In Israel, medical officials said an 80-year-old woman was severely wounded by rocket fire, a 50-year-old man was wounded by shrapnel and a teenage boy was mildly hurt as he ran for cover.

The Israeli military accused the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad of instigating the latest round of violence by shooting and wounding the soldiers.

Although the initial round of shooting was not coordinated with Hamas, Israel said it holds the group responsible for all fire coming from Gaza.

The United Nations mideast envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, said the organisation was working with Egypt to restore calm and called on all sides to “de-escalate” and to restore a recent ceasefire.

“Those who seek to destroy them will bear responsibility for a conflict that will have grave consequences for all,” he said in a statement.