JERUSALEM, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Israeli army on Thursday released video footage of what it said were underground silos in the northern Gaza Strip which militants intended to use to fire rockets into the Jewish state.

An army spokeswoman said the two silos discovered at a site in the northern Gaza Strip were two metres (6.5ft) deep and one metre (3.3ft) in diameter, large enough to house the makeshift rockets which militants frequently launch into Israel.

"During actions in the northern Gaza Strip last night, the Israel Defence Forces uncovered hidden concrete positions which serve as launching points for terrorists' rockets," the spokeswoman said.

Night vision footage shot by troops showed cylindrical pits lined with what the military said were rocket launch rails.

Islamist Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and other factions regularly launch makeshift rockets across the border into Israel. They are rarely deadly but cause injuries, damage to property and panic.

Israel quit Gaza in 2005 after 38 years of occupation, but still controls its coast, key crossings, and airspace.

A spokesman for Hamas's military wing in Gaza did not acknowledge the silos were his group's work, but vowed to continue to "fight the occupation both above ground and underground".

"The Qassam Brigades can fire rockets at will and all the (Israeli) methods will not be able to stop us," Abu Ubaida said. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Roche)

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