Seven Hamas members killed in Israeli airstrikes

The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas says seven members of the movement have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip, saying that Tel Aviv will “pay the price.”

The movement said seven members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades were killed in the attacks early on Monday and four others were injured.

Israeli military officials said they targeted nine sites and that the attacks made “direct hits.”

Hamas said most of the airstrikes were targeted at a gathering point for its members in the town of Rafah, at Gaza’s border with Egypt, while another strike hit an area north of the enclave.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Tel Aviv for a “grave escalation” in violence and vowed to retaliate, saying Israel “will pay the price.”

Late Sunday, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike on the Bureij refugee camp, also in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said that Palestinian fighters fired 25 rockets into Israel on Sunday. The rocket launching followed Israel’s escalation against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Tensions heightened between Palestinians and Israelis after the burning alive of a Palestinian teen in East al-Quds last week. The 16-year-old teenager, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, was bundled into a car and later burnt to death by Israeli settlers. His death has sparked a wave of protests across the Palestinian territories. Israel has arrested six settlers in connection with the murder, who have reportedly confessed to their crime.

The president of the Palestinian national unity government, Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday called for an international investigation into the Israeli crimes.