¡¡¡¡BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli airstrikes have killed another three Palestinians, bringing the death toll to twenty. Gaza has responded with retaliatory rockets. Israel¡¯s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the surge in violence as a "battle."

¡¡¡¡Guns reverberated in the air while people mourn throughout Gaza city.

¡¡¡¡This is the body of a militant, killed during the Israeli airstrikes on Sunday.

¡¡¡¡A 12-year-old boy was killed as he walked to school with a friend, as well as a farm guard.

¡¡¡¡Women wailed and men chanted demanding revenge.

¡¡¡¡The violence has been escalating in the cross-border region. Sunday¡¯s exchanges of fire have deepened the worst round of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in more than a year.

¡¡¡¡Clashes erupted on Friday when an Israeli air assault killed the commander of a militant group and 17 more Gazans.

¡¡¡¡Since then, Palestinian militants have fired more than 120 rockets at Israel, seriously wounding a civilian.

¡¡¡¡Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given a harsh response to fresh rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.

¡¡¡¡On Sunday, Israeli schools within range of rocket fire from Gaza were closed, along with some local businesses.

¡¡¡¡For residents living along the border region, security is desperately needed. They were often forced to take refuge in shelters during the threat of attacks.

¡¡¡¡It seems the area is still far from a ceasefire.

¡¡¡¡(Source: CNTV.cn)

¡¡¡¡Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts