Two Israeli air strikes led to the killing of three militants and the injuring of at least seven others, the officials of the local hospital said.

The first air strike was reported near the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya. One militant was killed ant four other were injured. There was also an Islamic Jihad militant shot dead in a gun battle east of the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.

In accordance with the sayings of an army spokeswoman, the second air strike took place on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City and was aimed at a group of militants that was approaching the Israeli troops operating near the border. The blast killed two militants.

The troops were performing "routine" activity against militants in the region close the border after at least 10 rockets and 10 mortar shells were fired against Israel since Thursday morning.

With two other militants killed in the exchange of fire before dawn, the death toll for Friday in Gaza reached 5.

The Friday killings follow the authorization of the latest Israeli security plan to disrupt the electricity and fuel supply to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The plan was authorized on Thursday by Defence Minister Ehud Barak.

The security plan is set to begin next week. The electricity would be cut from time to time and the fuel supplies would also be gradually reduced. In accordance with the official statements, the cuts won’t be too severe. A humanitarian crisis will be avoided and the hospitals won’t be affected, the statement said.