ISRAELI air strikes caused the entire of the Gaza Strip to “tremble” yesterday with explosions sending “ear-splitting echoes” across the territory, locals reported.

Missiles targeted several areas in the besieged enclave’s southern city of Khan Younis, prompting Palestinian groups to return fire at the Israeli jets.

“The warriors of the Palestinian resistance have engaged in firing at the occupation’s aircraft busy conducting extensive low-altitude flights over Gaza,” the Palestinian Safa news agency reported.

Eyewitnesses said that “blazes of light … rose up” in the sky which could be seen far away from the site of the attack.

Tel Aviv claimed to be responding to the launching of incendiary balloons from Gaza, its usual justification for air strikes.

No casualties were reported with the missile attacks coming soon after six Palestinian political prisoners freed themselves from Gilboa Prison, near the city of Bisan, after digging an escape tunnel.

It is the latest Israeli breach of a fragile ceasefire agreed in May after 11 days of aggression in which more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed.