Air-to-ground missiles fired by Israeli aircraft on Thursday struck a Palestinian-owned house in east of the central Gaza town of Deir el-Ballah, with no injuries reported, Hamas security sources in Gaza said.

Eyewitnesses said they heard a huge explosion that wrecked the area, adding that shortly before the explosion, they heard the buzz of an Israeli aircraft hovering over the area.

They also said that the Israeli aircraft had targeted apparently an empty house thought to be used as a store for weapons east of Deir el-Ballah.

The empty construction was badly damaged, but no injuries were reported, they added.

Israeli Radio had earlier reported that a homemade rocket fired from Gaza landed on an empty area in southern Israel on Wednesday night. No injuries or damages were reported.

No one claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. However, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed in statements that Israel would choose a suitable time to respond to rockets attacks from Gaza.

In December, the Israeli army carried out a 22-day military air, sea and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip in response to rockets attacks on Israel. After the end of the war, the area witnessed a relative calm.

Israel refused Hamas proposal for a long-term truce with Israel unless it releases captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been in Hamas captivity since he was abducted in June 2006.