One person was killed and at least 20 others were wounded in a massive Palestinian rocket barrage targeting southern Israel on Monday.
More than 400 projectiles were fired from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip into the Israel in a coordinated assault that began at around 4:30 p.m. local time.
Homes in the southern cities of Sderot, Netivot and Ashkelon were hit by rockets.
In Ashkelon, a man — a Palestinian in his 40s from the Hebron area — was killed and a woman was critically wounded.
Air raid sirens sounded as far away from Gaza as communities near the Dead Sea.
There was also an anti-tank missile strike on an Israeli bus near the Gaza border, in which an IDF soldier was seriously wounded.
The Israeli military said it was responding to the attacks with strikes throughout Gaza. At least three Palestinian have been killed in these strikes so far.
On Monday evening, the IDF announced it had bombed more than 70 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets.
Later, IAF planes destroyed the building housing the studio of the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV station, knocking it off the air.
Monday’s events followed a surge of violence the previous day that was sparked by a botched IDF special forces operation in Gaza.
A Hamas commander, six other Palestinian and an IDF officer were killed in Sunday’s exchanges of fire.
In a statement published on Monday after the funerals of the palestinians were held and as the rocket offensive commenced, Hamas’ armed wing said, “In response to yesterday’s crime, the joint command of Palestinian factions announce the beginning of bombardment of the enemy’s settlements with scores of rockets.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a visit to Paris, where he had participated in World War I commemorations on Sunday, and returned home early Monday morning.
On Monday evening, Netanyahu held a security consultation at the Israeli military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot and other top defense officials.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in Gaza over the past decade, the latest taking place in the summer of 2014.
