CAIRO, October 13. /TASS/. The Hamas military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades group, has announced that it delivered new strikes on the town of Ashkelon in Israel.

In a statement on its Telegram page it reported 150 rocket strikes on the city.

Earlier, the press service of the Israel Defense Army (IDF) reported that air raid sirens went off in Ashkelon.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has declared a state of war readiness and announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians. Clashes are underway in the West Bank as well.

According to the latest official data, over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 7,200 have suffered wounds. In Israel, up to 1,500 people have lost their lives and almost 4,000 have been wounded.