Israel has launched multiple air raids on the besieged Gaza Strip after the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented land and air military operation against Israel.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say at least 198 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli air attacks, with more than 1,600 wounded.

On the Israeli side, authorities say the death toll had risen to at least 100 people, with hundreds of others wounded.

Analysts say the nature of the Hamas attacks on Israel are without precedent in recent years, and could transform the landscape of the entrenched conflict.