Israeli forces entered parts of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Monday morning after Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israel, security sources and witnesses said.

Israeli tanks and bulldozers sealed off roads that link the border town with the northern Gaza Strip, witnesses said.

The incursion coincided with heavy artillery shelling that targeted northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Beit Laheyia and Jabaliya refugee camp, security sources said.

The tank shells caused damage but no casualties were reported, the sources added.

Earlier in the day, a military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) claimed that they have fired several homemade rockets into Israel from northern Gaza.

Israeli authorities confirmed that six missiles landed in western Negev Monday morning without causing casualties.

Beit Hanoun witnessed a deadly Israeli operation dubbed "Autumn Clouds" in early November that killed more than 85 Palestinians, more than half of which were civilians.

On Sunday night, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz telephoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, urging him to stop Palestinian militants from firing their rockets against Israel.

Peretz said the Jewish state will not tolerate rocket-launching groups.

Source: Xinhua