"I left my house to escape from death, and now death is running after me ... death is everywhere," Karima Ahmed, a Palestinian woman from the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, exclaimed as she burst into hysterical crying after hearing a loud explosion.

The panicked woman and her family had left their own home after being warned by the Israeli military that jets would strike near the house.

The family was told jets would attack a nearby tunnel, which Israel claimed was used by Hamas to smuggle weapons across the Egyptian border.

Now she believed the explosion meant the jets had followed her to neighbour Mona Qishta's home, where the family had fled. Mona tried hard to control Karima's fear, saying the explosion was only a Grad rocket fired by militants from Rafah and aimed at Israeli towns.

"The Israelis are also escaping from their houses because they fear the rockets of the Palestinian resistance," Mona tried to calm her down.

However, an Israeli air raid Sunday, which killed 11 members of the al-Dalou family in Gaza City's al-Nasser neighborhood, increased Karima's fear. The house she was staying in was full of women and children. She was afraid the house would be bombed and there would be more victims.

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip intensified again, the Israeli army announced more than 1,350 targets had been struck overall since Wednesday afternoon.

Gaza militant groups, led by the Islamic Hamas movement, had also claimed responsibility of firing 1,200 rockets. Despite Egyptian efforts to reach a truce, mutual attacks between the two sides continue.

Islamic Hamas finds itself more powerful now than during the last Israeli offensive against Gaza in early 2009.

Official visits by senior Tunisians and Egyptians to Gaza during the current hositilities have greatly buoyed Hamas, whereas, four years ago, the two countries pressed Hamas to stop its attacks. Now, Hamas is in no hurry to end the engagement.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said earlier in Cairo those who began this fool war (in reference to Israel) should end it.

Despite the scenes of fear and sadness that dominate the Gaza Strip, there is still a feeling of pride among the population that the militants have been able to strike Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with their rockets and have forced millions of Israelis to hide.

Mourners at a funeral for Palestinians killed in the airstrikes, chanted "resistance hits and strikes deep in Tel Aviv." Although 110 Palestinians have so far been killed and 850 wounded, a poll showed 83 percent of Palestinians support the militants' attacks on Israel.

Hani Ghazal, a 27-year-old Palestinian from Gaza said he had an endless feeling of glory because Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, and other militant groups had humiliated Israel and created an atmosphere of horror and fear among its people.

"The army of Israel that can never be defeated is now defeated by the Palestinian armed resistance," Ghazal said. "I don't belong to any factions, but I am so happy because al-Qassam Brigades has promoted from the status of defense to the status of attack."