An Israeli air strike killed five Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its aircraft "targeted and identified hitting a squad of terror operatives who were preparing to launch rockets towards Israeli territory".

Palestinian hospital officials said the five were militants.

The Hamas Islamist group, which rules the Gaza Strip, says it has tried to curb rocket fire at Israel, but smaller groups continue to carry the out such attacks.

Palestinian sources later identified the gunmen as members of a small militant group, Ansar al-Sunna, who have an agenda of global jihad similar to that of al Qaeda.

Israel's military said more than 200 cross-border missiles, rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza this year. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Editing by Noah Barkin)