Israeli air strikes hit Gaza

“There have been 130 strikes overnight until now,” Hamas interior ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said, citing “tens of strikes” across Gaza on Friday morning, as AFP correspondents in Gaza City reported multiple raids.

Shahwan said the strikes destroyed a building belonging to the interior ministry and used for administrative issues like passport renewals in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Tel Al Hawa.

Eyewitnesses said training positions used by various Palestinian militant groups had also been hit in the latest round of strikes.

Hamas emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said the toll now stood at 19 Palestinians, several of them children, with a further 235 people injured.

The Israeli army said it had carried out 466 air strikes since it launched “Operation Pillar of Defence” on Wednesday afternoon with the targeted killing of Hamas commander Ahmed Jaabari.

The army confirmed that “strikes are continuing,” adding that 11 Palestinian rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel overnight.

A total of 280 rockets have been fired at Israeli state from Gaza since Wednesday afternoon, the military added. Three Israelis were killed on Thursday.

The Israeli air defence system Iron Dome intercepted 131 of those, a military spokesperson