Huge gas reserves found in southwest China

SDEROT (AFP) - Palestinian militants in Gaza fired six rockets into Israel on Monday, two of them crashing in the southern town of Sderot as Defence Minister Amir Peretz voted in a Labour party election.

The armed wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, which did not cause any injuries or damage.

The Israeli army carried out two air raids against Hamas targets in Gaza overnight, wounding two militants, medics said.

Israel has pounded targets of the Islamist movement for nearly two weeks in response to a sharp increase of rocket fire from the lawless territory. The air raids have killed 13 civilians and 33 militants.

But the strikes have failed to halt rocket fire -- nearly 250 projectiles have been launched into Israel since May 15, killing two civilians, wounding 20 and sending hundreds fleeing from Sderot that has borne the brunt of the fire.

Israel's Labour party is voting for a new leader on Monday. Current party chairman Peretz is running, but is placed a distant third in the most recent opinion polls.

Ami Ayalon, a political novice who once headed the Shin Beth internal security agency, and Ehud Barak, an ex-premier aiming to stage a political comeback, are the front-runners.