Palestinian group Hamas haves begun a “war” against Israel, the country’s defence minister has said, after a barrage of rockets were fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave reportedly infiltrated Israel, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Reuters reported.

Violence between Israel and the Palestinians has been surging for almost two years, with fatalities in the occupied West Bank hitting a scale not seen in years.

At least two people were killed in Israel, officials said.