Israeli forces have launched yet another attack into the besieged coastal enclave of Gaza, killing two Palestinians in an apparent fire exchange.

Reports indicate that the two Palestinians died east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis early on Sunday, when Israeli soldiers launched a gun battle in the area.

According to an Israeli army spokeswoman, helicopter gunships backed up gunfire by their soldiers and shelled the area.

According to an AFP report, the two Palestinian killed by the Israeli forces were members of the Islamic Jihad movement of Palestine.

The Israeli military has repeatedly waged attacks on Gaza since its massive 22-day war on the territory in late 2008.

However, during this month, there has been a surge of violence along the Israeli-Gaza border.

On December 18, at least five people were killed by an Israeli aerial assault on the town of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The attack was one of the deadliest carried out by the Israeli military since Tel Aviv’s December 2008-January 2009 war on the Gaza Strip, which left more than 1,400 dead and inflicted heavy damage — estimated at over USD 1.6 billion — on the coastal territory’s economy.

The democratically-elected Hamas government in the Gaza Strip has nevertheless continued to observe its ceasefire with the Israeli regime, while cautioning that it is prepared for war if there is a full Israeli attack on the territory.

(Press TV)