Three Israeli soldiers hurt after Palestinian attacks

JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants bombarded southern Israel with dozens of rockets and mortar shells Tuesday, while Israeli warplanes struck targets throughout the Gaza Strip in the largest flare-up of violencebetweenthesidessincea 2014 war.

The Israeli military said most of the projectiles were intercepted, but three soldiers were wounded, raising the chances of further Israeli retaliation. One mortar shell landed near a kindergarten shortly before it opened.

The sudden burst of violence follows weeks of mass Palestinian protests along the Gaza border with Israel. “Israel will exact a heavy price from those who seek to harm it, and we see Hamas as responsible for preventing such attacks,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza in 2007.

During a conflict in 2014, more than 2,000 Palestinians died in 50 days of fighting.

Seventy-two people were killed on the Israeli side.

The Israeli military said it carried out more than 35 airstrikes on seven sites across Gaza, including an unfinished tunnel near the southern city of Rafah that crossed under the border into Egypt and from there into Israeli territory.

No Palestinian casualties were reported.