Gaza/Jerusalem, Mar 18 (UNI) The Israeli army conducted on Tuesday intense airstrikes on the northern and central Gaza Strip, marking the most violent escalation since the ceasefire, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.

Palestinian sources told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes launched raids of unprecedented scale, triggering successive explosions in several areas of northern and central Gaza.

In an initial statement, the Palestinian Civil Defence said that Israeli aircraft targeted homes, mosques, schools and shelters, resulting in significant casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Tuesday he had ordered the military to "act forcefully against Hamas in the Gaza Strip."

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