Israel on Tuesday bombed the border line between Egypt and Gaza Strip, targeting underground smuggling tunnels, Palestinian witnesses said.

At the same time, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the coastal road in northwest Gaza Strip, security sources said.

Medical sources said the shelling and the shooting caused no casualties.

Israel intensified air strikes at the tunnels since it launched the major offensive into Gaza in December. Though the wide military operation ended in January, Israel continued targeting the tunnels every now and then.

Hundreds of tunnels are used to bring in missing stuff and goods. They flourished after Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007 when Islamic Hamas movement seized the territory.

Last year, up to 50 Palestinians were killed while working inside the tunnels.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2009)