At least 100 people have died in Israel after Palestinian militant group, Hamas launched its biggest attack in years.

Militants crossed into Israel from Gaza under the cover of heavy rocket fire.

The BBC Reports that Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on targets in Gaza killing 198 people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is “at war” and vowed that Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, will “pay a price it has never known”.

This is one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years.

The attack by Hamas saw fighters cross the perimeter fence at just after dawn. At the same time, barrages of rockets were launched from Gaza – some reaching as far as the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

It is not clear yet how the gunmen managed to penetrate one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.

The Israeli military has said dozens of fighter jets are carrying out air strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza, and it has hit 17 Hamas military compounds. It also said it has mobilised tens of thousands of reservists.

The Palestinian health ministry says 198 people have been killed in Israeli strikes and another 1,610 have been injured .-ZBC News