Israeli warplanes attacked some 100 Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday in response to a rare rocket attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, as the sides appeared to be hurtling toward a new round of violence.

Rocket fire persisted into the morning, setting the stage for additional possible reprisals.

The rocket attack Thursday night caught the IDF off guard and marked the first time that Tel Aviv, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Gaza, has been targeted since a 2014 war. Though the attack caused no damage or injuries, it was a significant escalation and set the stage for a tough Israeli reprisal.

The blasts were so powerful that smoke could be seen in Gaza City, 25 kilometers (15 miles) away from some of the strikes. The Israeli warplanes could be heard roaring through the skies above Gaza.

its not the sun.. it's the moment of israeli attack on #Gaza right now..#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/7aVHse2bko

— Ahmad Matar 🇵🇸✌ (@AhmadMatar21) March 14, 2019

The IDF said that its targets had included an office complex in Gaza City used to plan and command Hamas terror activities, an underground complex that served as Hamas’ main rocket-manufacturing site, and a center used for Hamas drone development.

In Gaza, health officials reported four people wounded, including a husband and wife in the southern town of Rafah. There were no further details. The office building struck by Israel had been used by Hamas’ office of prisoner affairs.

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We hit 100 Hamas military targets in Gaza in response to the rockets they fired at Israeli civilians. Among them:
• Underground rocket manufacturing site
• HQ responsible for orchestrating Hamas terrorism in Judea & Samaria
• Hamas center of unmanned aerial aircraft#StopHamas pic.twitter.com/Iy3DwpNpTU

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 15, 2019

The IDF reported at least 6 additional rockets fired at Southern Israeli communities, 4 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

4 rockets were launched from Gaza at Israel. The IDF Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted 3 of the rockets.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 15, 2019

The sudden outbreak of violence comes at a sensitive time for both sides, and it appeared that Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers had incentives to end the fighting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the midst of a tight re-election battle. A tough response would draw international criticism and domestic accusations that he is acting out of political motivations ahead of the April 9 vote. But a restrained response will draw criticism from his fellow hard-line rivals.

Hamas, meanwhile, is coping with its own domestic troubles. Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas took over the territory in 2007. The blockade, along with sanctions by the rival Palestinian Authority and Hamas’ own mismanagement, have fueled an economic crisis that has driven unemployment over 50 percent.

Shortly before the rocket attack, Hamas police on Thursday violently broke up a rare protest by demonstrators angry about the dire living conditions in Gaza.

The crackdown triggered heavy criticism on social media, raising the possibility that the rocket fire was a diversionary tactic. The organizers of a weekly protest along the Israeli border said they would cancel the demonstration in the wake of the escalation.

Hamas, the terrorist org that occupies Gaza since 2007, has opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians who protested today against its responsibility for their miserable lives.

They said: "We want to live!"

Hamas said: "We will kill you for saying this". #بدنا_نعيش #الترنس_يجمعنا pic.twitter.com/7zyvSStHFg

— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) March 14, 2019

Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the Islamic terror group seized power in Gaza in 2007. Smaller flare-ups have occurred sporadically since Israel and Hamas fought their last war, in 2014.

The latest round of fighting came as Egyptian mediators were trying to extend a cease-fire between the bitter enemies. The Egyptians left Gaza late Thursday.

Hamas, which typically claims responsibility for its military actions, denied involvement in the rocket attack on Tel Aviv and even said it had undermined its interests. But Israel’s military said it had concluded the group was behind the attack.

“The IDF holds the Hamas terror organization responsible for all events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and emanating from it,” the military said in a statement.

We can confirm that the rockets fired from #Gaza at #TelAviv earlier tonight were launched by the Hamas terrorist organization.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 15, 2019

Despite its denial, Hamas is one of the only groups in Gaza with the means to strike Tel Aviv. A smaller terror group, the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, also possesses a large arsenal of rockets, though it too denied involvement.

Smaller Salafi groups inspired by ISIS also operate in Gaza, though it is unclear whether they have powerful rockets capable of striking so deep inside Israel.

Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, the chief Israeli military spokesman, said the army had been caught off guard by Thursday night’s rocket barrage and had no advance intelligence.

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Israeli Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett, a hard-line rival of Netanyahu’s, called on the prime minister to convene a gathering of his Security Cabinet and demand the army “present a plan to defeat Hamas.”

Earlier this week, Israel struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire on southern Israel, near the border. Late Thursday, local media said that Egyptian mediators left the territory.

At the time, Netanyahu issued a warning to Hamas, rejecting suggestions that Israel would be reluctant to take tough action in Gaza ahead of national elections next month.

“I suggest to Hamas, don’t count on it,” he told his Cabinet. “We will do anything necessary to restore security and quiet to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the south in general.”

City of Sderot (that has been under constant barrage of rockets in recent months) posting on Facebook: “Tel Aviv, a bit of noise and you’re stressed? Come to our bomb shelters- experienced VIP hosts” pic.twitter.com/9U62pe1SJV

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) March 14, 2019

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C 👏O 👏 N 👏 T 👏 E 👏 X 👏 T pic.twitter.com/l8aTdwDkAJ

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 15, 2019

(AP)