Israeli aircraft strike at militants in southern Gaza

Israeli aircraft struck three times in southern Gaza, killing five militants, after a day of internal Palestinian unrest with public service workers and security forces clamoring to be paid.

Two airstrikes came late on Tuesday in the refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border, killing four Hamas militants and wounding 18 bystanders. The military said it was targeting Hamas militants in both attacks.

Before daybreak yesterday, Israeli helicopters fired at militants in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing one and wounding three, witnesses and hospital officials said. The military said the target was armed militants who were approaching the border fence. Israeli forces began clearing the area near the fence, the military said.

Residents said the first airstrike in Rafah caused a huge fire. An eyewitness, Salim Abu Jazer, 55, said the initial blast was followed by two smaller explosions in the car. The military said that showed it was carrying explosives.

Since an Israeli soldier was captured in a cross-border raid by Palestinian militants in late June, Israeli forces have been operating in Gaza, hunting militants. Israeli airstrikes have targeted buildings the Israelis say are used by militants for making and storing weapons, as well as vehicles carrying suspected militants.

Also on Tuesday, Israeli soldiers at a West Bank roadblock arrested the commander of Force 17, an elite security unit linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. Israel said the commander, Mahmoud Damra, was linked to attacks against Israelis.

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinian security officers went on the rampage in Gaza City, demanding back pay from the cash-strapped Hamas-led government.

Several thousand Palestinian security officers fired rifles in the air and assaulted the parliament building, the first time armed forces have joined the workers' protests over back pay.

Shop owners along the protest route through downtown Gaza City closed their stores, some in solidarity and others fearing violence.

In the West Bank, the work stoppage, launched last weekend by teachers and civil servants, escalated into a full-scale general strike as shop owners closed their stores. In one town, gunmen from the opposition Fatah Party shot weapons in the air after some businesses tried to open.

The Palestinian government has been in a financial crisis since Hamas took over in March after winning parliamentary elections.