Palestinian scientist Sufyan Tayeh and his family killed in Israeli bombing

GAZA CITY – Israel has intensified airstrikes on houses and buildings in Gaza as the weeklong truce ended, and amid the massive bombing, hundreds of people have been killed including noted Palestinian scientist Sufyan Tayeh and his family.

In a statement, the Palestinian Higher Education Ministry confirmed the death of the Rector of the Gaza Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, Sufyan Tayeh, and his family members.

Professor Tayeh lost his life in an airstrike in the Al-Faluja area in Jabalia, it said, remembering the prominent figure who was classified as top researcher in the world.

The head of Gaza University was a researcher in physics and applied mathematics, and he authored crucial journals in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, the death toll from Israeli bombardment on Gaza surpassed the 15,000 mark since the outbreak of the conflict in early October.

Hamas and Palestinian group Islamic Jihad announced "rocket barrages" against multiple Israeli cities and towns including Tel Aviv, and Israel said that two of its soldiers had died in combat, the first since the end of the truce.