Blog: Palestinian and Israeli attacks escalate in Gaza

Recap of today's events:

• Israeli PM says his county will take 'whatever action necessary' to defend itself.
• Since Wednesday, Israel has carried out at least 150 raids across Gaza, killing at least 15 Palestinians, at least seven of them Hamas militants.
• In the same period, Gaza militants have fired more than 200 rockets at Israel, killing three people and injuring 16, police and medics said.
• The Israeli army said that a rocket from Gaza has exploded south of Tel Aviv, but there have been no injuries.
• A spokesman for Hamas group that controls the Gaza Strip has told the AFP news agency it rejects talk of truce with Israel at this time.
• Latest escalation sparked by Israel killing of Ahmed al-Jaabari, head of Hamas’s military wing, in a strike on Gaza on Wednesday night.
• The US has defended Israel’s “right to defend itself” while encouraging Israel “to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties”.
• Egypt recalled its ambassador to Israel on Wednesday in protest at the air strikes and has said it will send its PM to Gaza on Friday.
• Putin has warned Israel against escalation of violence.

Scroll through our blog below for coverage of the day's events.