Hamas-ruled Gaza witnessed its bloodiest day since November, 2012 as Israel's military said it targeted 118 concealed rocket launchers, 10 Hamas command-and-control centres and 10 tunnels, overnight injuring nearly 300.
It brought to 440 the number of targets in Gaza attacked as part of "Operation Protective Edge".
The military said 117 rockets had hit Israel yesterday, with the Iron Dome interceptor system shooting down 20 while three rockets landed around Jerusalem, the BBC reported.
Israeli Air Force strikes across the coastal strip which targeted 160 sites, including homes of eight senior Hamas operatives, Muhammad Sinwar and Ra'ed Atar, as efforts to stop rocket attacks on Israel's southern areas intensified.
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The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said their houses served as Hamas command centres and were used in coordinating the rocket fire on Israel's south.
Israeli warplanes also bombed the home of a senior Islamic Jihad militant in Beit Hanoun post-midnight, killing him and five members of his family.
The deaths brought to 28 the number of casualties since the launch of Israel's 'Operation Protective Edge' early yesterday, with the Israeli army not ruling out the possibility of a major ground offensive having called 40,000 reservists on duty.
Twenty-four of those killed in Gaza died in air strikes yesterday, four Hamas militants were killed staging a beachfront assault on an army base just north of the besieged strip, and nine others were killed just before the start of the operation.
Residents of Jerusalem were caught off-guard yesterday evening as sirens wailed across the Holy City and three loud explosions were heard and a series of flashes lit the sky.