Hamas warns Israelis 'will not live in peace' unless aggression ends

Gaza's rulers Hamas have vowed that "Israelis will not live in peace" if Israel continues bombing targets in the Gaza Strip amid the worst escalation since a 2014 war.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem made the comments to The New Arab's Arabic-language service on Tuesday after six Palestinians were killed in Gaza in less than 24 hours.

"The Israeli occupation and its settlers will not live in peace while Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are subjected to these killings, destruction and the blockade," he said.

"The unified resistance is exercising its right to respond to the crimes of the occupation and will not relinquish this right. These crimes are increasing and have targeted civilian areas, pushing the resistance to expand its response."

Qassem added for a ceasefire to be reached mediators must "move towards the side that started the aggression and force the occupation to stop its crimes".

The Israeli military has hit around 150 targets in the Gaza Strip since Monday afternoon, killing at least six Palestinians.

Barrages of Hamas rocket and mortar fire into Israel and Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have threatened a new war between the two sides.

The Israeli military says it has hit around 150 targets in the Gaza Strip since Monday afternoon, while nearly 400 rockets and mortar rounds have been fired from Gaza at Israel.

Israeli aircraft destroyed Hamas' al-Aqsa TV building in the Gaza Strip on Monday after a series of warning shots.

The latest round of violence began on Sunday with a deadly Israeli special forces operation inside the Gaza Strip that killed seven Palestinians, including senior Hamas commander Nour Baraka.

Palestinian militants responded with rocket and mortar fire, as well as a missile that hit a bus and severely wounded an Israeli soldier. Israel hit back with major air strikes.

Egypt, which has negotiated ceasefires following previous flare-ups, is seeking to restore calm.

Israel has launched three major military operations on the besieged territory since 2008. The most recent, and deadly, operation took place in 2014 and killed over 2,200 Palestinians, including 500 children.

Israel has enforced a land, sea, and air blockade on Gaza for over a decade.

Gaza is one of the most densely populated territories on the planet, with two million Palestinians crammed into just 362 square kilometres, and unable to leave.