Fierce violence between Israel and Gaza militant groups flared up late Wednesday after the death of Ahmed al-Jaabari, the highest-ranking Hamas member killed by Israel since Operation Cast Lead in early 2009.

The Israeli air force continued striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, after killing 10 people, including al-Jaabari and at least five civilians.

The barrages were launched amid the large-scale Israeli military Operation Pillar of Defense against Gaza, which began Wednesday afternoon and was officially aimed at Hamas' top leadership and its infrastructure in Gaza, including its stocks of rockets, training camps, rocket-launching sites and police stations.

Israel's military said Wednesday night that it has "significantly damaged the rocket launching capabilities" of Hamas.

Meanwhile, Israel's navy also targeted several Hamas sites along the shoreline of the Gaza Strip, while a large number of Israeli troops have amassed along the border for a possible ground invasion.

Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave, said the killing of its commander was "a declaration of war" with Israel.

Israel "committed a dangerous crime and broke all redlines," said Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas. "The Israeli occupation will regret and pay a high price ... The occupation has opened doors of hell against itself."

Gaza militants fired dozens of rockets towards southern Israel Wednesday evening. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it intercepted 13 rockets, most of which were Grad missiles making their way to the city of Be'er Sheva.

The Palestinians on Wednesday called on the United Nations and its Security Council to take a stand on Israel's latest strikes on the Gaza Strip in a bid to "ensure that the international peace and security is maintained in our region."

"The situation is explosive. We condemned the Israeli strikes in the strongest term," said Riyard Mansour, Palestine's permanent observer to the United Nations, adding "they are opening a war on us."

"Our understanding that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza so far is nine and the number is increasing and there are a large number of people injured," Mansour said.

The Palestinian Authority is also coordinating its actions with the Arab League (AL) and Egypt.

The AL will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Saturday, aiming to tackle the Israeli military operation in the Gaza strip, Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Barakat al-Farra told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency meeting of representatives in the AL on the Israeli attack.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi decided Wednesday to recall his ambassador to Israel in protest against the Jewish country's military operation in Gaza, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said.

Meanwhile, Morsi also asked the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador in Cairo.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr condemned Israeli air strikes on Gaza, calling for an "immediate halt" of such attacks.

On Wednesday, Israeli President Shimon Peres briefed U.S. President Barack Obama on Israel's killing of al-Jaabari, saying it was a response to a surge in cross-border Palestinian rocket and mortar salvoes from Gaza.

"Israel is not interested in stoking the flames, but for the past five days there has been constant missile fire at Israel and mothers and children cannot sleep quietly at night," Peres was quoted as telling Obama.

"There is a limit to what Israel can absorb," Peres said in a statement from his office.

The Obama administration strongly condemned Hamas, saying "We support Israel's right to defend itself, and we encourage Israel to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties," according to Mark Toner, deputy U.S. State Department spokesman.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he spoke separately with Obama and "voiced deep appreciation for (his) support of Israel's right to defend itself."