Israel has exchanged fire with armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip after assassinating the military cheief of Hamas, which controls the territory.
The death toll on Thursday was at least 11 Palestinians killed from Israeli strikes on Gaza, while Israeli media are reporting that three Israelis have been killed in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malahi.
Launched on Wednesday during a deceptive lull in almost a week of surging cross-border violence, Israel's began its air assault with the assassination of Ahmed al-Jaabari, head of Hamas' military wing, while travelling in his car. Jaabari's son was also killed in the strike.
Hamas, reeling at the strategic loss of its top military commander, Islamic Jihad and other armed factions said they resumed rocket attacks against towns and villages in Israel's south after Wednesday's assassinatuion.
Israeli authorities said more than 200 rockets and mortars were fired in from Gaza as of Thursday morning, and its Iron Dome interceptor had shot down 27 of the missiles.
On either side of the frontier, people fled streets for cover.
Expecting days or more of fighting, Israel warned Hamas all its men were in its sights and weathered censure from influential Arab countries with the Arab League announcing it was to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday and Egypt recalling its ambassador to Israel.
The United States condemned Hamas, shunned by the West as an obstacle to peace.
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