Israel said its troops killed two Palestinian gunmen from the Islamist Hamas movement on Tuesday near the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

The incident occurred after a Hamas source said the group's armed wing had claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed a woman in southern Israel on Monday. It was the first such attack inside Israel claimed by the group since 2004.

"Troops spotted two suspicious men approaching them and identified hitting them," said an army spokesman.

Israeli troops frequently carry out raids in the Gaza Strip to hunt militants.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June after routing secular Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.