Gaza, Feb 13 (IANS): Israeli fighter jets bombed a military post in the Gaza Strip early on Monday in response to a rocket launch from the Palestinian enclave on Saturday.

Sources with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) told Xinhua that several explosions were heard in separate areas of the coastal enclave, which is home to more than two million Palestinians. Witnesses saw ambulances and civil defense crews moving to the bombing sites.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that the underground post produced raw materials for manufacturing missiles and was run by the Hamas, Xinhua reported.

"The airstrike deals a serious blow to Hamas' capabilities to fortify and arm itself," the statement said.

On Saturday night, the Israeli army said that it had detected and intercepted one rocket launched from Gaza.

This is the third time that Hamas military posts in Gaza have been bombed in response to launching rockets from the Strip toward Israel since January 1.

The military escalation in Gaza came amid growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, causing more than 50 deaths, according to official figures.