Gaza Strip-based terrorist groups have fired over 300 rockets at Israel since Saturday, 190 on Sunday alone, the military said.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The late afternoon hours saw a massive salvo launched at Israel's south, including the greater Beersheba, Ashkelon and Ashdod areas. Buildings in Ashkelon and Ashdod sustained direct hits, as did a synagogue in Ashkelon. No injuries were reported in the barrage, but extensive damage was noted at all scenes.
The Iron Dome defense system intercepted dozens of projectiles and some 20 rockets hit areas inside the Strip, the IDF said.
Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, said the salvo was a reprisal for an overnight Israeli airstrike that reportedly killed 37 Palestinians.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said Sunday that some 130 Hamas terrorists have been killed in IDF strikes since Operation Guardian of the Walls was launched on May 10.
As of the seventh day of the military campaign, 12 Israelis – one soldier and 11 civilians – have been killed and over 600 were injured.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have fired 3,100 rockets at Israel over the past week – the highest daily rate of rocket fire in Israel's history.
Zilberman confirmed that the IDF had targeted the homes of senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, including that of Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
In interviews with major media outlets on Sunday evening, GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano argued that the more time the IDF is afforded to pursue its operational objectives the better.
He warned that Sinwar and Mohammed Dief, the infamous commander of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, "Could be targeted by Israeli strikes."
In the early hours of Sunday afternoon, the IDF said it struck the building housing Hamas' Interior Ministry, saying it had been used for military means.
Other targets included Islamic Jihad underground rocket launchers, a Hamas post in northern Gaza, and a Hamas arms depot at the heart of the coastal enclave.
On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi held a joint televised press briefing.
Netanyahu noted that Operation Guardian of the Walls "will take time," adding that while Israel was being somewhat pressured to end the offensive, "We are getting considerable support, first foremost from the US. We have international backing and we are using it.
"No terrorist is safe any longer," he said.
Netanyahu commended the actions of IDF, underscoring the military's "painstaking efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.
"The Hamas tunnel system, which the terrorists considered to be their shelter, became a death trap after IDF bombings," Netanyahu added.
Gantz also commended the IDF's actions and pleaded with the public to remain vigilant and adhere to military directives with respect to personal safety during rocket attacks, "Which saved dozens of lives in these last few days."
Kochavi said that Hamas committed a "grave tactical error, completely misreading the situation" in provoking the latest escalation against Israel, "the fierce reaction of which its leaders failed to foresee.
"We have heavily damaged Hamas' network of underground tunnels, the flagship project in which they took great pride," he added. "They intended to conduct the fighting from there. Yet, IDF hit considerable portions of the network, rendering them unusable. It will take a long time for them to restore it.
"We have critically hit their missile production capabilities and we have thwarted innumerable attempted attacks via sea and land."
Kohavi acknowledged the heavy fire on the home front, saying, "We are aware of this and we are doing everything to make our air defenses more effective. Nonetheless, we are achieving very good results.
"We intend to continue to act with force for as long as is necessary, and according to the phases we had planned," the chief of staff continued. "We are acting with the conviction that this is the right and necessary thing to do in order to protect the public."
Channel 12 News later cited an unnamed senior security source as saying Israel was gearing up to bring the operation to its end that the next 24 hours "will be critical."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
