Death toll climbs after Israeli raids on Gaza

A 12-year-old boy been killed in a fresh Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll from Israeli attacks to 18 since Friday, according to Palestinian medical sources.

At least one more Palestinian was wounded in the early Sunday raid in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, the sources said, after armed groups fired 100 rockets into Israel.

A Palestinian riding a motorcycle was killed and two others were wounded on Saturday afternoon in an Israeli air raid close to the southern town of Rafah near the border with Egypt .

Two men also on a motorbike were killed earlier the same day in another raid on the town of Khan Yunis, medics said.

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli army said: “The targeting is in direct response to the rocket fire at Israeli communities in southern Israel.

"Over the past 24 hours, over 45 rockets have hit communities in southern Israel- injuring four people, one severely, one moderately and two lightly."

An air raid late on Friday struck down three Palestinians after an Apache helicopter fired rockets that hit a house and a car, medics told Al Jazeera.