Israeli air strike kills 3 Palestinians in Gaza

Gaza: An Israeli air strike killed three Palestinian militants in Gaza yesterday, including an Islamic Jihad commander long sought by Israel for involvement in rocket shootings at the Jewish state.

Hamas rejected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call for the deployment of international troops in Gaza, vowing to attack them like other 'occupation forces'.

Abbas dismissed a Hamas-led unity government and formed his own administration in the occupied West Bank after the group's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

The air strike came three days after Israel killed 12 in its largest offensive in Gaza since Hamas's rout of Abbas's Fatah forces on June 14.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed one of its aircraft had opened fire on a car targeting Gaza militants involved in attacks against Israel.

The three militants killed in the town of Khan Younis belonged to the Islamic Jihad group, including one of the movement's commanders, Gaza security sources and witnesses said.

The commander, identified in Gaza as Raed Ghannam, was long wanted by Israel for rocket and other attacks. Islamic Jihad confirmed he was involved in attacks against Israelis.

Free elections

Another four bystanders were injured in the blast, rescue workers said.

Abbas, who also leads the secular Fatah faction, told French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to Paris on Friday he wanted international peacekeepers to deploy in Gaza in order to ensure free elections can be held there.

"An international force is not acceptable to us," said Esmail Haniya, prime minister of the Hamas-led government dismissed by Abbas.

"We are under [Israeli] occupation and we do not need more forces that will put more pressure on the Palestinian people."

Hamas's armed wing, the Ezz Al Deen Al Qassam Brigades, threatened to attack international troops.

"We will not allow any foreign forces to set foot in the Gaza Strip and we will deal with them as occupation forces," Qassam Brigades said.