Gaza death toll climbs further in wake of Israeli bombardment

The toll added three deaths to an earlier report of 23 people killed, including three children.

Social media was filled with tributes to those killed, including 8-year-old Ameer Ayad, who was killed by a bomb along with his father and brother.

The violence since Tuesday has seen militants firing barrages of retaliatory rockets at Israel, which responded to in turn with air and artillery strikes on what it claimed to be Islamic Jihad militant sites and rocket-launching squads in Gaza, however have killed a number of civilians.

The United Nations condemned Israel's attacks on Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, adding that it was attempting to de-escalate the conflict between Islamic Jihad fighters and Israel.

Tensions escalated between Gaza and Israel after a commander of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad was killed in a strike on his home in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

Islamic Jihad's armed wing announced the death of the commander in Gaza City after Israel confirmed it had targeted Baha Abu Al-Ata, 42, in a strike. The group said Ata's wife was also killed.

Gaza since 2007 experienced three devastating wars with Israel – in 2007, 2012 and 2014. The wars, along with a brutal 12 year blockade has left the besieged enclave devastated.

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