Gaza militants fire dozens of mortars into Israel Published duration 19 March 2011

image caption Hamas security personnel were among those wounded by Israeli shelling

Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired dozens of missiles into southern Israel in what appears to be their heaviest such barrage in two years.

About 50 mortars were fired - two Israelis were hurt, Israel says.

Israeli tanks later shelled targets in the coastal strip, wounding at least five people, Palestinian officials say.

The Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza, said it fired some of the mortars. Three days ago an Israeli air strike killed two of its members.

The BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza says this seems to be an escalation - both in terms of the number of mortars fired from Gaza and the fact that Hamas said it was responsible.

Hamas's military wing said it launched dozens of mortars, our correspondent reports.

Hamas and Israel have largely halted hostilities since the end of the Gaza war in January 2009, but skirmishes often break out around the border area.