The military wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Sunday that it had launched a "large rocket barrage" targeting Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades stated on Telegram that the attack was in response to what they described as "Israeli massacres against civilians."

Israel's army confirmed that at least eight rockets were fired from Gaza's city of Rafah toward the central areas of Israel. Israeli air defenses intercepted several of the projectiles, according to military reports.

Reports from Gaza indicated that rockets were seen being launched from Rafah, and rocket sirens blared in Tel Aviv, marking the first instance of such an alert in months. Witnesses in Tel Aviv reported hearing multiple explosions.

The conflict in Gaza escalated following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,170 people, primarily civilians, as per an AFP count based on Israeli official data. Additionally, militants took 252 hostages, with 121 still held in Gaza, including 37 reported dead by the Israeli military.

In response, Israel launched an offensive resulting in the deaths of at least 35,984 individuals in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.