AFP - Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip early on Monday near the southern city of Rafah, Palestinian security officials said, hours after at least three mortar rounds were fired into Israel.
  
In the first air strike against the Gaza Strip since June 14, Israeli warplanes targeted an area where contraband tunnels are known to run under the border to Egypt.
  
The mortar attacks Sunday targeted the Karni and Erez border crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and caused no casualties or damage.
  
According to the army more than 200 rockets and shells have been fired from Gaza since Israel's 22-day offensive against the Hamas rulers of the territory in December and January.
  
Operation "Cast Lead", which led to more than 1,400 Palestinian deaths including hundreds of civilians and which devastated swathes of the coastal strip, was officially aimed at ending the firing of rockets from Gaza.