Israeli missile hits Gaza building

GAZA - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile which damaged a building in the northern Gaza Strip early on Tuesday, witnesses and the Israeli military said.

There were no reported casualties from the attack an army spokeswoman described as against a weapons manufacturing plant used by Hamas militants to produce rockets fired at Israel.

Palestinian sources described the building damaged in the blast as a metal foundry.

The attack followed continued rocket fire on the Jewish state by Gaza militants on Monday.

Israel has stepped up air raids against Palestinian militants in response to increased rocket fire recently that has mainly targeted the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

Residents of the working-class town threatened to blockade its roads later on Tuesday to press demands that the government make a tougher respond to the rockets fired from Gaza that have spread panic while so far causing few casualties.

Sderot is the hometown of Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz.

- REUTERS