Following a reported five hour long Israeli security cabinet meeting on Sunday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been instructed to continue conducting strikes across Gaza — this in response to a stunning approximate 600 rockets fired towards southern and central Israel by Hamas and Islamic Jihad since Saturday morning.

Saturday IDF air strikes on Gaza City, AP Photo

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "massive attacks against terrorist elements" are to continue to his weekly Cabinet meeting. "Hamas bears the responsibility not only for its own attacks and actions but also for the actions of Islamic Jihad, and it is paying a very heavy price for this," he added.

Israel has responded with some 260 airstrikes on Gaza, according to the IDF, resulting in 17 Palestinians killed, including militants and civilians, with the death toll mounting.

The Palestinian health ministry blamed Israeli attacks on Saturday for the killing of a one-year old baby and the child's pregnant mother in Gaza, however which the IDF disputed, claiming the deaths were due to a Hamas rocket misfiring.

Death toll rises to 17 in Gaza including two pregnant women and another 18-month baby.#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/BBan3yUP9Y — Muhammad Smiry 🇵🇸 (@MuhammadSmiry) May 5, 2019

#Update: Other video footage from in #Gaza of massive amounts of rockets being released into #Israel, and people in gaza cheering while being launched of their platforms... pic.twitter.com/M8X3IiA0b0 — Sotiri Dimpinoudis ❁‏ (@sotiridi) May 5, 2019

Schools and businesses remained close across southern Israel, with much of the population within range of Hamas rockets in the south seeking bomb shelters.

CNN has cited three Israelis killed as rockets continue to rain down unabated, citing Israeli rescue and hospital officials.

A 58-year old Israeli man whose house was hit by a rocket was the first death by Gaza rocket fire since the end of the 2014 war. Other Israeli civilians have been reported critically injured as the numbers of Hamas direct hits on Israeli residential buildings are rising.

#Update: OMG this is a insane amount of rockets being launched from #Gaza into #Israel right now... pic.twitter.com/7nH3xOn5Z2 — Sotiri Dimpinoudis ❁‏ (@sotiridi) May 5, 2019

Meanwhile, the IDF has claimed a successful strike on a Hamas operative it says was known for transferring Iranian money to terror groups inside the strip.

PRECISION STRIKE: Earlier today, we targeted Hamed Ahmed Khudari in Gaza. He was responsible for transferring Iranian money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The funds were used to build the hundreds of rockets recently fired at Israel. Iran will need to find a new money man in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/2mv1oXLaB7 — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2019

Currently there appears no end in sight to the violence, as both sides have vowed to sustain and ramp up the attacks.

The UN and Egypt said they are attempting to mediate a ceasefire - so far these attempts through the weekend have failed, however.