Israeli army says it killed top Hamas intelligence officials in Gaza raids

The Israeli army has announced that its air strikes on Gaza have killed senior intelligence officials in the Palestinian movement Hamas. 

"Our fighter jets, with the ISA, neutralized key figures of Hamas' intelligence: Hassan Kaogi, head of the Hamas military intelligence security department & his deputy Wail Issa, head of the military intelligence counterespionage department," a Twitter statement by the Israeli army on Wednesday morning read.

The statement added that the operation was in response to "hundreds" of rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel over the past 24 hours.

"In response to HUNDREDS of rockets in the last 24 hours, the IDF has struck a number of significant terror targets and terror operatives across the Gaza Strip, marking our largest strike since 2014," the statement added.

Israeli authorities have so far confirmed five deaths as a result of the missiles fired from Gaza on several Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. Two of the deaths, a father and his teenage daughter, were Palestinian citizens of the Israeli city of Lod, according to the city's mayor. 

“Hamas missiles do not differentiate between Jews and Arabs,” Lod Mayor Yair Revivo said, according to the Times of Israel.

He also appealed to Palestinian citizens of Israel to end the protests and called for calm in the city. “The day after we will still have to live here together.”

Meanwhile, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes has reached 35, including 12 children, according to the Gaza health ministry.