Palestinian militants have fired dozens of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The rocket launches follow airstrikes that Palestinian health officials say killed at least 13 people.
Air-raid sirens rang throughout southern Israel — and as far away as the Tel Aviv area — after militants in the Gaza Strip launched dozens of rockets on Wednesday.
Residents braced for an attack after Israel launched air strikes early on Tuesday, which Gaza health officials said killed 13 people, including civilians.
Israel's army said at least 60 rockets had been fired in less than an hour with sirens wailing in the Tel Aviv area some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from Gaza.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, but local officials said an empty home had been struck in the southern town of Sderot.
Numerous mid-air explosions indicated that air defense systems — part of Israel's Iron Dome system — had intercepted a large number of rockets.
Further exchanges were reported on Wednesday with Israel announcing it would target rocket launch sites of the militant group Islamic Jihad. Plumes of dark smoke could be seen rising from among buildings.
