The number of those killed in Gaza violence has increased to 29, including six children, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said today..
253 individuals in Gaza have been hurt since the hostilities with Israel started on Friday, according to the health ministry.
As the crisis between Palestinian militants and Israel began its third day, the Islamic Jihad claimed to have launched rockets at Jerusalem from the Gaza Strip.
Al Quds Brigades, the movement’s military wing, said in a statement they had “fired rockets” at the city, a short while after air raid sirens were activated and explosions heard, marking the first time Jerusalem was targeted in this round of violence.
The conflict in Gaza is the worst to hit the region since a war last year, which left 2.3 million Palestinians homeless and drove countless Israelis to take cover from missiles.
Islamic Jihad had been preparing an imminent attack after days of tension near the border with Gaza, according to Israel, which is why it was necessary to launch a “pre-emptive” action against the group.
Islamic Jihad is aligned with Hamas but often acts independently. Both are blacklisted as terrorist organisations by much of the West.
Hamas has fought four wars with Israel since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, including the conflict last May.