GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, said on Sunday that it had fired 100 rockets into the Sderot settlement in response to the Israeli army targeting civilian houses in the Gaza Strip.
“Sderot was hit by 100 rockets,” said the group’s spokesman Abu Ubaida in a statement.
He also confirmed “new infiltration attempts into Israel,” adding that reinforcement was sent to the groups in the field.
Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Saturday and said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence. It said it fired rockets and captured many Israelis.
In turn, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
At least 750 Israelis have been missing since fighting broke out on Saturday morning, local media reported early Sunday.
At least 313 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 2,000 others injured in the attacks, according to medical sources in Gaza, while the Israeli death toll climbed to 350.
More than 3,000 rockets have been launched by Hamas toward Israel since Saturday morning, according to the Israeli army.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi