The death toll from violence in Gaza has increased to 29, including six children, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier, the ministry had reported that the number of people killed was 32, but a further statement brought the number down to 29, including six children and four women.
The health ministry also said that 253 people were wounded in Gaza since the hostilities with Israel broke out on Friday.
The violence is the worst since in Gaza since the war last year that devastated the impoverished homes of 2.3 million Palestinians and forced countless Israelis to seek shelter from rockets.
Israel said it was necessary to launch an offensive against Islamic Jihad, as the group had been planning to attack Israel following days of tension along the border with Gaza. Islamic Jihad is aligned with Hamas but often acts independently. Both are listed as terrorist organisations by the West.
Palestinian fighters have responded to the bombings by launching more than 400 rockets at Israel. Most of the rockets were intercepted, and there have been no reports of casualties, according to the Israel ambulance services.
The violence has raised fears of another war on Gaza by Israel, just 15 months after a monthlong war that claimed the lives of 260 people.
Source: Eyewitness News, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Economic Times, Business Recorder, image from Business Recorder