GAZA STRIP, September 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Israeli military killed two Hamas militants on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, local medical officials told RIA Novosti.

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since the summer of 2007, initially said the two fighters, had been killed in an air strike while on lookout duty east of the town of Jabalya. The Islamic group's armed wing then said that they had been killed by a tank shell in a cross-border attack.

Israel has yet to comment on the report.

An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal ended Israel's December-January attack on Gaza.

Palestinian militants separate from Hamas have carried out occasional rocket attacks on Israeli border areas since the ceasefire came into force.