Tel Aviv, May 6 (IANS): The Hamas health department said that 16 people were killed in an Israeli air attack on Monday.

Media has reported that nine people from one family and seven members from another family were killed in the air attack.

The airstrike was in retaliation to the barrage of rockets fired by Hamas at a ground near Kerem Shalom in Southern Israel killing three Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and injuring 11 soldiers. The injured included soldiers from the 931 Battalion and one soldier from the Shaked Battalion.

The attack, according to IDF, was staged from the Rafah region early morning. Highly placed sources in the Israel Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) told IANS that the war cabinet will meet on Monday and decide on the ground invasion of Rafah. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister without portfolio, Benny Gantz will be participating in the war cabinet to be held later in the day.

It may be recalled that in the recent indirect mediatory talks in Cairo, Israel has insisted on the release of at least 33 of its hostages in the custody of Hamas in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails.

The rocket and mortar firing by Hamas at Kerem Shalom crossing killing three IDF soldiers and Israel’s retaliation is likely to affect the progress of peace talks in Cairo.