‘Rocket attack underway from Gaza on southern Israel’

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired several barrages of rockets into southern Israel on Wednesday in their first response to Israeli airstrikes that killed a total of 16 Palestinians, including three veteran fighters and at least 10 civilians.

The rocket fire set off air raid sirens across southern Israel, as residents braced for an attack since Israel launched its first airstrikes early Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli aircraft struck targets in Gaza for a second day on Wednesday, killing at least one Palestinian and pushing the region toward a new round of heavy fighting.

Tuesday’s attacks killed three senior Islamic Jihad fighters and at least 10 civilians – most of them women and children. Palestinian militants have vowed to retaliate, while Israel says it is prepared for further escalation of hostilities.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had bombed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure in the coastal region.

The military said an air strike targeted militants traveling to a rocket launcher site in the southern Gaza Strip.