Israeli occupation forces were launching dozens of raids against the besieged strip of Gaza, as the Palestinian resistance said that the Zionist entity has crossed the red line, vowing that the retaliation will be surprising.

Israeli occupation forces were launching dozens of raids against the besieged strip of Gaza, as the Palestinian resistance said that the Zionist entity has crossed the red line, vowing that the retaliation will be surprising.

At least 17 people were injured and several houses were targeted in the raids on the southern Gaza Strip, notably in Khan Yunes, as Israeli air forces were launching an air operation code-named “Protective Edge”.

For its part, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement, Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades warned that the Zionist entity has "crossed a red line by attacking houses".

"If this policy does not stop we will respond by enlarging the radius of our targets to the point where the enemy will be surprised," it said in a statement.

"About 50 objects were targeted including four houses of activists, rocket launch sites and infrastructure," an Israeli army spokesman said.

The spokesman also said that reinforcements were deployed near the Gaza Strip, so a ground attack can be launched if need be.

More reinforcements would "be gradually mobilized in the next days", the spokesman said, adding: "The air raids we have carried out are only one step. The operation is not limited in time."

Earlier o Monday, resistance fighters in Gaza fired dozens of rockets at the occupied territories.

Al-Qassam Brigades issued a statement, claiming responsibility for the rockets.
"Al-Qassam fired dozens of rockets on Netivot and Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ofakim in response to the Zionist aggression," the statement said.

"Qassam rockets are a natural reaction to the Israeli crimes against our people," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri in a statement.
"We are not afraid of your threats and will not surrender to your conditions, we will respond to your crimes."

The occupation army has been for days launching air raids in Gaza and a brutal crackdown against Palestinians in the West Bank. Dozens of Palestinians were martyred and hundreds others were arrested in the past weeks after three Israeli settlers were abducted last month.
The bodies of the settlers were found last week.

Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, is one of the latest Palestinian martyrs. He was kidnapped and burned alive by the Israeli settlers last Wednesday.