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An explosion in the northern Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian militant and critically wounded another, medical workers said today.
The Popular Resistance Committees militant group said an Israeli air strike targeted a group of its members as they approached the Israel-Gaza border near the town of Beit Hanoun.
An Israeli army spokesman denied that the military had carried out an air strike.
Skirmishes between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Hamas-controlled territory have threatened a five-month ceasefire along the Israel-Gaza frontier.
Yesterday, Hamas Islamists fired their longest-range rockets at the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon after an Israeli air strike on their Gaza stronghold.
Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for the flare-up which began on November 4th when troops raided Gaza to destroy what the Israeli army described as a tunnel dug by militants to kidnap soldiers. Twelve Hamas militants have been killed by Israeli forces and scores of rockets have been fired at Israel.
So far, both have shied away from declaring an end to the Egyptian-brokered truce and because of the rocket attacks, Israel has refused to allow humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said during a visit to Jordan that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was a "war crime".
"I would like to draw the attention of the international community to the tragedy that our people are enduring in Gaza and I call on them to intervene to end the unfair siege ... which constitutes a war crime against our Palestinian people," Mr Abbas said.
Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak said the continued rocket fire was an "intolerable situation which cannot be allowed to continue" and that Israel might have to intensify actions against Gaza "including closing the crossings".
He added that if Hamas were to return to the ceasefire Israel would do the same, but that security forces would "act immediately when there is a tangible danger."
