The number of Palestinian deaths has crossed 2,700 with more than 9,600 injuries reported, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.

Israeli attacks "continue with all brutality," noting that the attacks have targeted residential neighborhoods and destroyed homes "on the heads of the residents,"  said Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesman of the ministry.

Ashraf added that rescue operations "are facing great difficulties" as a result of the massive destruction in residential neighborhoods and the roads leading to hospitals.

The Gaza-ruling Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched a surprise attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip a week ago, killing more than 1,300 people in Israel and prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza.

The number of Palestinians killed on Sunday surpasses the total number of fatalities during the third conflict between Israel and Hamas in the summer of 2014, when a total of 2,251 Palestinians were killed, with 1,462 of those being civilians, according to United Nations data.

(With UNI/XINHUA inputs)