In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Salama Maarouf, the head of the Hamas-run government media office, said 42 government headquarters and dozens of public facilities and establishments were also destroyed.

In addition, about 89 schools were attacked by the strikes, and nine of them became no longer operational, according to Maarouf.

He called on the international community to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli strikes on Gaza.

The Israeli airstrikes followed Hamas' surprise attack Saturday on southern Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip.

Both sides have suffered heavy casualties during this round of conflict, with a death toll amounting to more than 2,700 as of Thursday.