Hamas militants launched rocket attacks against Israel on Wednesday in response to a series of deadly Israeli air strikes on hundreds of Hamas-controlled sites in Gaza, according to NBC News.
At least five rockets were launched into Tel Aviv Wednesday morning, Israel's army said according to The New York Times. Dozens of longer-range rockets also hit the same city as well as Jerusalem the day before.
Those strikes, which did not result in any casualties, came after over 400 Gaza sites were blasted by air and sea attacks since Israel's offensive began Monday.
Some 160 sites were targeted between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning alone. Among the targets were 118 hidden locations for launching rockets, 10 Hamas tunnels and another 10 Hamas military stations, according to The NY Times.
At least 29 Palestinian civilian deaths have been reported so far. Some reports say eight children under the age of 16 were among the victims. Another 230 people have been wounded, medical official said.
The fighting is the heaviest to occur since a November 2012 battle between Hamas and Israel that lasted for eight days, according to NBC News.
The airstrikes were fueled by three Israeli teenagers who were missing for nearly three weeks before they were found murdered in the West Bank city of Hebron at the end of June. Israel has blamed Hamas for the killings. But the Palestinian militant group has neither admitted nor denied committing the murders.
Israeli officials said they will prepare for a ground invasion into Gaza if necessary.
"The government has instructed the military to deploy forces along the border with Gaza to be ready for any contingency," Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters. "Our goal, our overriding goal, is to safeguard the people of Israel and to end the launching of rockets from Gaza on our citizens."
