GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli airstrikes on Monday destroyed large parts of the Al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, leading to large internet and communications outages.

Israeli warplanes destroyed a number of buildings, including residential ones, flattening them to the ground, said an Anadolu correspondent.

The reporter said the fighter jets destroyed a Palestinian Telecommunications Company building, causing a widespread outage of communications and the internet.

The raids also caused extensive damage to homes and property and caused great panic among them, with power outages hitting large areas.

Al-Shifa Medical Complex was also damaged in the airstrikes.

The intense airstrikes followed a statement by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in which he directed the army to intensify attacks on Gaza, according to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi “ordered a significant increase in the intensity of attacks on the Gaza Strip,” Gallant said, according to a statement released by his office.

Saying that the main goal is to eliminate all Hamas targets, Gallant said: "This is a war for our future, and collecting a heavy price from the enemy is a necessary condition for our presence in the region."

Gaza-based resistance group Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel early Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets. It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.

In retaliation, the Israeli army launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat