Two Palestinian militants were killed and two others wounded on Monday afternoon after they were hit by a missile fired from an Israeli warplane in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, local medics said.

Witnesses said the militants were trying to launch homemade rockets at southern Israel, adding that an Israeli warplane hit them with one missile, killing two and wounding two others.

Ambulances rushed to the scene and evacuated the casualties to Kamal Odwan Hospital north of Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. Security sources said two were killed and their identities were not immediately known.

Medics at Kamal Odwan Hospital said they were hit in the airstrike on the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Monday, two Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement militants were killed and one was critically wounded in an Israeli strike on them also in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

Violence between Gaza militants and the Israeli army was escalating in the past two days as the Israeli army ground forces carried out a series of incursions into the Hamas-ruled salient to stop rockets attacks on Israel.

Gaza militants responded with homemade rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel on Sunday and Monday. No injuries or damages were caused, according to Israel Radio.