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Israel sent fighter jets into the Gaza Strip on Monday, responding to a barrage of rockets fired by Palestinian militants, in an escalation of violence following a deadly military operation the night before, Tribune-Review reports.

Hamas called for an international investigation into what it claimed was Israel's “deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian facilities,” while the Israeli army claimed it has carried out a successful missile strike against the group's military intelligence headquarters.

“We struck Hamas' military intelligence HQ in response to the 300+ rockets that terrorists in Gaza fired at Israel,” the Israeli Defence Forces, IDF, tweeted late Monday.

“This is where Hamas' intelligence operatives gathered information to launch attacks on Israelis,” the IDF said, adding that the group that controls Gaza “intentionally established their HQ next to a school.”

Hamas claimed that Israeli fighter jets were striking “only civilian places,” but Israel says that Hamas intentionally placed civilians in harm's way to use as human shields.

“An independent probe into the atrocious Israeli crimes should be declared right now and Hamas is ready to provide all proof of the Israeli crimes against humanity,” the group said late Monday, calling on the U.N. to indict Israel in the International Criminal Court.

The Israeli army said it had struck more than 70 targets belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group in the coastal enclave, in response to rockets sent from Gaza on Sunday.

Sites targeted included three tunnels that could have been used for attacks, a site for producing weapons and a launch site for rockets.

The army also said it had struck the broadcasting station for Hamas’ Al-Aqsa channel, which is used for transmitting information to Hamas fighters and allegedly to coordinate terrorist activities. Witnesses in Gaza confirmed the station had been hit.

The army also said the Iron Dome missile defense system had intercepted about 60 rockets fired.

According to a spokesman from Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, an Israeli special forces unit in a civilian vehicle had driven 1.8 miles into Gaza on Sunday with the mission of capturing a Hamas commander.

Militant Palestinians, however, discovered the special unit in their vehicle near Khan Younis, where the Israelis killed the commander.

His killing was followed by a fierce exchange of fire. Israeli warplanes struck the Khan Younis area so the soldiers could retreat.

More than 220 Palestinians have been killed in clashes since March 30, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

Egypt has for months tried to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. According to media reports, Israel on Thursday had allowed emissaries from Qatar to bring up to $15 million in cash to Gaza. The money was meant to help Hamas pay outstanding wages to its employees in Gaza, among other things.

We struck Hamas’ military intelligence HQ in response to the 300+ rockets that terrorists in #Gaza fired at #Israel.
This is where Hamas' intelligence operatives gathered information to launch attacks on Israelis.
Hamas intentionally established their HQ next to a school. pic.twitter.com/nuHoLmlcD9

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDFSpokesperson) November 12, 2018