Israeli air strike kills 2 Hamas fighters near Egyptian border

RAFAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) - An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip killed two Hamas fighters near the Egyptian border late on Wednesday, the Islamist movement that controls the Palestinian territory said.

The strike, witnessed by an AFP photographer, hit a car in the town of Rafah on the territory's southern border with Egypt.

The Israeli military issued a statement saying that air force planes "targeted two terror operatives affiliated with the 'Defenders of al-Aqsa' in the southern Gaza Strip. A direct hit was confirmed."

One of those killed, named as Anis Abu Mahmoud el-Anin, was a member of the "terrorist group sponsored by Hamas in the Gaza Strip," the statement added.