At least seven Palestinians have been killed in a renewal of hostilities in the Gaza Strip [AFP]

No injuries or damage was reported on Friday, the third successive day of hostilities that threatens to unravel a five-month-old truce between the enclave's Hamas rulers and the Israeli government.

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsbility for the latest rocket attack.

According to the Israeli military, at least three rockets were fired.

Palestinian fighters and the Israeli military have largely held their fire since a June 19 truce.

But the lull ended on Tuesday after Israeli troops launched an incursion into Gaza to destroy what they said was a tunnel dug near the border aimed at kidnapping Israeli soldiers.

Fighters killed

Seven fighters were killed during the operation and dozens of rockets were fired into Israel in response.

A Palestinian fighter was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli air raid after two rockets were fired into Israel.

Israel has now closed its crossings into the impoverished territory, keeping much-needed goods from reaching the coastal strip of 1.4 million people.

Although the violence is the worst since the truce took effect, neither side seems to have much to gain from a renewal of hostilities, and both Israeli and Hamas officials have said they want to restore calm.

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