Gaza, April 03: Leaders of the Hamas militant movement which controls the Gaza Strip have said they are working to curb rocket attacks against Israel by smaller factions.

Spokesman Ayman Taha said the Hamas government was trying to maintain calm in Gaza for "the national interest".

He spoke hours after Israeli planes carried out bombing raids on what it said were weapons factories in Gaza.

Hamas PM Ismail Haniya also urged the international community to intervene to avoid an escalation in violence.

"We are contacting the other Palestinian factions in order to reach an internal consensus as to the measures we may take in order to protect our people and strengthen our unity," Mr Haniya said.

Four of the strikes took place near the town of Khan Younis, where two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian fighters were killed in clashes last week. Three children were reportedly injured in the Israeli strikes.

The latest violence is the most serious since the end of Israel's assault on Gaza in January 2009.

Palestinians and rights groups say more than 1,400 Gazans died in the conflict, while Israel puts the figure at 1,166. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, were killed.

'Retaliation'

Militants in the Gaza Strip have recently stepped up rocket fire directed at Israel.

The air strikes were not a surprise. Israeli officials say there is an equivalence: if it is quiet within Israel's borders, then it will be quiet in Gaza.

Among Gaza's leaders there was a slight difference in emphasis. Ismail Haniya, the top Hamas man in the territory, condemned Israel's "escalation". But Ayman Taha, a spokesman, also said that Hamas was "working hard to deter any faction from acting individually".

So both sides are insisting that they want calm.