An Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip this evening killed at least two people, local Palestinian witnesses said.
The identity of the dead people was not immediately clear, but witnesses said it came shortly after two rockets had been fired from the area into Israel.
The Israeli army claimed that an Israeli aircraft had fired a missile aimed at rocket launchers in the area.
An Israeli spokeswoman said it was the second air strike of the evening, following another strike minutes earlier in which one Palestinian was killed.
Israeli forces began an offensive, the first such push into Gaza since troops and settlers withdrew from the territory last year, after Palestinian gunmen abducted Corporal Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid on June 25th.
Israel has rejected calls by the three militant factions that grabbed the tank gunner to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for information about him.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday rejected the possibility of a truce raised by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of Hamas.
"This is a war that cannot be on a timetable," a senior government official quoted Mr Olmert as telling his cabinet, a day after Mr Haniyeh made his proposal.
"There is no intention to reoccupy Gaza in order to stay there, but if certain operations are needed they will be carried out. We will operate, enter and pull out as needed," Mr Olmert was quoted as saying.
The offensive by ground and air forces has continued despite expressions of concern from the European Union and United Nations at the worst fighting between Israelis and Palestinians since 2004 and a potential humanitarian crisis.
Israel's main ally, the United States, has been less critical.
Israeli forces have destroyed a main power station in Gaza and killed about 50 people, including 20 civilians, residents said.