The Hamas movement says its fighters have fired seven mortars at Israeli troops who have crossed into the Gaza Strip from southern borders.

Hamas' military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said Wednesday that it targeted Israeli troops, who were carrying out an incursion near the al-Maghazi refugee camp, with three mortars, a Press TV correspondent reported.

There were no immediate reports of damage and casualties. The Israeli army has not commented on the report.

Our correspondent added that four more mortars had been fired at Israeli troops in centeral Gaza.

The attacks came shortly after Israeli warplanes pounded the Rafah border crossing to destroy "tunnels" that Tel Aviv contends are used to smuggle arms into the beleaguered strip.

The Israeli army said the airstrikes were carried out in response to a Tuesday remote-control bomb attack along the Gaza border that killed one Israeli soldier.

The cross-border tunnels along Rafah are often used by Palestinian, who have been under an Israeli siege since June 2007, to import food, medicines and other vital supplies.

Relief workers say the humanitarian situation in the impoverished coastal strip is at its worst with over 1.1 million people -- about 80 percent of the residents of Gaza -- dependent on aid.

HE/MD