Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday the military offensive in Gaza will continue "as long as necessary," as the exchange of massive Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket barrages entered the third day.

In a joint statement with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Lapid said the military continues to strike "targets and operatives, and to thwart rocket-launching squads" belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

For his part, Gantz warned that Israeli forces "will continue to operate against the Islamic Jihad until we restore peace and remove the threats to the children living in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip."

The Israel Defense Forces claimed that the Islamic Jihad has launched 780 rockets since Friday and 270 of them were intercepted.  

The death toll from violence in Gaza has risen to 31, including six children and four women, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday.

At least 265 people have been injured since the new round of conflicts.

The fighting began on Friday afternoon when the Israeli air force killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in the coastal Palestinian enclave, triggering rocket fire by militants with the group. The escalation came after Israel arrested a leader of the group in the occupied West Bank, sparking threats of revenge.

(With input from agencies)