GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP):

Israel turned the force of its punishing Gaza campaign toward Hamas field operatives yesterday, sending warplanes to bomb their houses in a sweep meant to tear at the roots of the militant organisation.

Yet, even with their senior leadership in hiding, the battered Islamic militants managed to fire dozens of rockets at southern Israel yesterday.

The overwhelming air assault, a response to intensified militant rocket fire, has rattled the Middle East and capitals around the world.

Stone-throwing clashes also broke out in around half a dozen places in the West Bank as well as in several Arab-populated areas inside Israel.

No none injures

On the outskirts of Jerusalem, dozens of Palestinian youths darted around burning barricades of tyres and furniture to hurl rocks at Israeli police and soldiers. The Israeli forces responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, but it did not appear that anyone was injured.

The targets Israel chose to strike yesterday revealed an intention to chip away at Hamas' foundation. Israel carried out five separate strikes on the houses of field operatives, though there has been no confirmation that any of them were killed.

And, in grainy surveillance video from an overhead drone released by Israel's military, several men are seen loading a pickup truck with what the military said were medium-range Grad rockets. Moments later, a large explosion from a missile strike envelops the image.

One of the strikes against field operatives targeted a house in Jebaliya refugee camp, killing seven people, but the Hamas activist was not there.