Gaza  - Five Palestinians were killed before dawn on Saturday in two separate Israeli airstrikes on Hamas military posts in the two southern Gaza towns, medics and Hamas sources said.

Israeli aircraft struck a post belonging to Hamas naval police west of Khan Younis, and then struck another post belonging to Hamas' armed wing in the town of Rafah, Hamas sources said.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry told reporters that three were killed in Khan Younis and two were killed in Rafah by Israeli air-to-ground missiles.

The two Israeli air raids came shortly after Hamas armed wing, al- Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for killing an Israeli in a mortar attack on southern Israel.

A 48-year-old Israeli woman was killed and three wounded in the Friday afternoon attack on Kibbutz Kfar Azza near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, an Israeli army spokesman told Israeli Radio.

Al-Qassam Brigades in a leaflet said its militants had launched three mortar shells at the town. (dpa)