The attack, by armed drones, came at the end of a day of clashes with Israeli troops along the land border with Gaza, in which three Palestinians were killed.

Israel "targeted two boats in Gaza port with drone strikes," the interior ministry in the Hamas-controlled strip said in a statement.

It was not clear if the vessels belonged to civilians or to the Islamist Hamas, which rules the territory.

Eyewitnesses said the two boats were badly damaged.

Hamas security forces prevented journalists from reaching the scene.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

If confirmed it was believed it would to be the first time Israel aircraft had targeted boats in Gaza since the 2014 war.