At least 15 people have
been killed in the Gaza Strip as Israel launches a major air and sea
offensive against the militant group Hamas.
On Tuesday evening, militants launched several rockets towards Jerusalem but did not hit the city, Israeli police said.
Israel has warned it may send ground troops into Gaza to stop the attacks. It has authorised the call-up of up to 40,000 military reservists. Hundreds of reservists have already been drafted to bolster forces around Gaza.
Hamas said all Israelis were now targets. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Israel immediately stop the raids on Gaza and appealed for calm.
The Israeli military said it had targeted some 50 "terror sites" on Tuesday, in response to the missiles being fired from Gaza
It confirmed that aircraft and naval vessels had targeted militant compounds, rocket launchers and other infrastructure in Gaza, which is dominated by Hamas and until recently was governed by it.
Missiles struck the homes of several Hamas operatives who Israel claimed were involved in firing rockets, and what it said was a command centre located in a civilian building.
Among those killed in the raids were four Hamas members who died in Gaza City when their car was struck. One of the dead was Mohammed Shaaban, a senior militant.
Later, the home of a Hamas leader in the southern city of Khan Younis was hit, killing six people. Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said two teenage boys were among those killed. Another 25 people were injured.
A Hamas spokesman condemned the air strike, calling it a "horrendous war crime".
The militant group later said it had launched several rockets at Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Tuesday.
Israeli officials said none of the missiles had reached their target.
The White House issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the rocket fire and expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself "against these vicious attacks".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the country's military to prepare for every scenario, including a ground offensive.
"We are preparing for a battle against Hamas which will not end within a few days," his Defence Minister, Moshe Yaalon, said in a statement.
He said Israel was "prepared to extend the operations with all means at our disposal in order to keep hitting Hamas".
The Israeli military said it had received provisional government approval to call up as many as 40,000 reserve soldiers, but had not done so yet.
Spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said it was preparing for an "escalation" of the campaign, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge", and would continue its bombardment as long as Israeli citizens were under fire.
The government has declared a state of emergency in southern Israel. In cities and towns within 40km (24 miles) of Gaza, summer camps and schools have been instructed to close and residents have been encouraged to stay near their homes.
The sudden escalation comes just days after suggestions of a truce from both Israel and militant groups in Gaza.
Tensions spiked last week with the murders of three young Israelis in the occupied West Bank and a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem.
Israel says Hamas was behind the abduction and murder of the Israeli youths - a claim it denies.
A day after their funerals, the Palestinian was abducted in East Jerusalem and murdered. Police have arrested six Jewish suspects and say it seems the 16-year-old was killed because of his nationality.
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