Rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel

At least 270 rockets were fired from Gaza towards southern and central Israel on Wednesday. The vast majority of them fell in depopulated zone or were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The rockets came as Israel launched operation Shield and Arrow on Tuesday morning, targeting Islamic Jihad groups in Gaza.

No one claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks on Israel, but the Gaza-based chamber of military operations, which features the armed wing of the Palestinian factions, has vowed a military response to the Israeli airstrikes that claimed at least 19 lives in Gaza in the past two days.

There's been no immediate information on injuries from Israel, but local media reported a house in the southern town of Sderot was hit by a rocket.

And flights were briefly stopped from landing at Ben Gurion international airport due to rockets fired from Gaza at the Tel Aviv area, the Times of Israel said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said Israel is ready "both to expand the current operation and inflict heavy blows on Gaza, now and in the future."

(Reuters)