Over a hundred rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza towards Israel since Tuesday morning in the largest round of warfare there since Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

The rockets were fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in response to the deaths of three of its members on Sunday, when an Israeli tank opened fire on a PIJ position following the discovery of an explosive charge on the border fence.

From 7am until 6.30pm on Tuesday, 117 shells and rockets were fired at Israeli villages and towns near the Gaza border. More launches followed later in the evening.

In 14 cases, the Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted incoming projectiles. Four Israelis were moderately wounded by shrapnel.

In one early morning case shells fell just outside a kindergarten, but no one was hurt as the children had not yet arrived.

In response Israel carried out multiple air strikes against Hamas and PIJ positions in the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of a tunnel at the southern tip of the strip, which had been dug by Hamas under the border with Egypt and then looped back under Israel for 900 metres.

While Hamas is not directly involved in the firing, Israeli intelligence believes that for the first time since the summer of 2014, the Islamist movement which controls Gaza is not trying to prevent its PIJ rivals from firing towards Israel.

PIJ, which receives support from Iran, coordinated this latest round of attacks with Tehran, Israeli intelligence officials say.

After suffering a series of setbacks in Syria in recent weeks, the Iranians are interested in trying to divert Israel’s attention southwards to Gaza.

Hamas, which prevented rocket fire during the two months of protests which began on March 30 and in which over a hundred Palestinians were killed from Israeli fire, is planning to renew the violent protests on Gaza’s border this Friday and next.

Next week also marks the 52nd anniversary of the Six Day War. While the movement, for now, is not interested in another conflict with Israel, it wants to raise the level of tension in order to draw more attention to Gaza.