Hamas targets Tel Aviv for second day running

The attacks came despite Israel agreeing to halt action during a visit by the Egyptian Prime Minister to Gaza. The mayor of Tel Aviv has opened all public bomb shelters to residents of the city in anticipation of further attacks.

A post on the Twitter page of the Al Qassam brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – took responsibility for targeting Tel Aviv. "Al Qassam Brigades shelling Tel Aviv-Tel El Rabee with M75 homemade projectile," it said. It also reported sending rockets to the southern town of Beersheva and threatened that they would be launching a long range missile towards the Knesset building in Jerusalem "for the first time".

So far the Israeli military said it has hit 340 targets in Gaza, including underground missile stores. Up to 19 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed. Three Israeli soldiers in southern have also been injured by a rocket fired from Gaza.