The Israeli army has attacked a number of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, wounding at least three people, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israel's military said the strikes were in response to a rocket that was launched from the Palestinian territory into Israel earlier on Monday, causing no injuries.
Two Hams posts were targeted by Israeli tank fire, a Palestinian security source told the AFP news agency, while air strikes hit targets in northern Gaza.
Later on Monday, at least five air strikes hit Gaza City, while one struck Khan Yunis in the south.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman for the Gaza health ministry, told reporters that at least three civilians were lightly to moderately injured in the air strikes.
Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said in an emailed press statement that his movement holds Israel responsible for the current military escalation on the Gaza Strip and will be responsible for the consequences.
"The occupation is trying to export its internal corruption crisis to the Gaza Strip. Therefore, the role of the Palestinian resistance is to defend our people from this aggression," he stated.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Palestinian rocket strike.
It was the first time since October that Israel had officially reported that a rocket fired from Gaza had reached Israel.
"In response to the projectile fired towards southern Israeli communities earlier today, the air force targeted three Hamas posts in the northern Gaza Strip," the Israeli military said in a statement, cautioning it "will not tolerate rocket fire towards civilians".
Aljazeera