"Al-Qassam Brigades are currently carrying out a massive rocket strike with the use of 100 rockets at the occupied city of Ashkelon in response to the attacks on civilians and bombardments of civilian facilities,” the Hamas military wing said in a statement, posted on its Telegram channel.
Local residents told Sputnik that air raid sirens were sounding in Ashkelon every 5-10 minutes.
The largest confrontation in recent years at the Gaza Strip border began on Monday evening. Palestinian militants have since launched about 2,000 rockets toward Israel, while Israel is carrying out multiple retaliatory strikes against the Hamas Islamist movement.
The violence was sparked by days of clashes in East Jerusalem and an Israeli court's decision to side with Jewish settlers requesting the eviction of several Palestinian families from their homes in the disputed city.