Three individuals sustained minor injuries on Sunday following a rocket barrage launched by Hamas on southern Israel, which led the Israeli military to conduct airstrikes in central Gaza later in the day, according to both Israeli and Palestinian reports.

Earlier, the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military arm, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on Ashdod, stating in a brief announcement that it was retaliation for alleged Israeli "massacres" of Palestinian civilians.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed that 10 rockets were launched from Gaza, with the majority intercepted.

As the rockets were fired, warning sirens sounded across Ashdod, Ashkelon, Yavne, and neighboring areas.

State-run Kan TV News later reported that one rocket landed in central Ashkelon, causing three people to suffer light injuries.

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In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, following a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a "tough" retaliation against Hamas.

The IDF confirmed it had struck rocket launch sites in Gaza that were used in the earlier attack on Israeli territory.

Gaza residents told Xinhua that the Israeli military carried out several airstrikes on Sunday night across Deir al-Balah, with powerful explosions heard throughout the area. Fighter jets and surveillance aircraft were observed flying over the region during the operation.

So far, Gaza health officials have not reported any injuries from the latest strikes.

Israel resumed wide-scale air and ground operations in Gaza on March 18. Since then, 1,335 Palestinians have been killed and 3,297 injured, according to Gaza health authorities.