JERUSALEM - Israel has continued air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip Thursday, killing at least three suspected militants.The Israeli military also said troops raided a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus early Thursday and killed two militants.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon are both calling for a halt to violence on the Gaza strip after a day of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket attacks.

The calls came in response to Israeli airstrikes that hit the Palestinian Interior Ministry, killing a baby and wounding at least 14 others.

On Wednesday, Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip had fired at least 20 rockets at southern Israel, killing an Israeli college student. Hamas said the attack was in retaliation for earlier Israeli attacks that killed 10 Palestinians.

Rice will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories next week to discuss peace efforts there.

A State Department spokesman said Rice will be in the Middle East for four days, starting March 3.

A U.S.-sponsored conference last year helped restart peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Source:  VOA News