The skies of Israel lit up overnight as missiles flared upwards to intercept incoming rockets from the Gaza Strip. Explosions rippled through the troubled Middle East region as Palestinian liberation group Hamas attempted to exact revenge for Israel’s killing of one of its leaders at the weekend.
In response, Israeli air strikes in Gaza have so far killed three Palestinians and destroyed a Hamas TV building after a barrage of rocket fire from the enclave, as renewed violence threatened to derail efforts to end months of unrest.
Israel’s military said it had struck more than 70 militant sites in response to over 300 rockets fired from the Hamas-run territory.
Officials say missile defences had intercepted dozens of the rockets from Gaza and most others fell in open areas, though some hit houses and other civilian structures.
Medics reported around 20 Israelis were wounded.
The army said an Israeli bus was hit by an antitank missile from the Gaza Strip, causing several injuries. A soldier was severely wounded, it said.