Gaza, Oct 9 (IANS): The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a militant group that operates in Palestinian territories, has announced that it has taken custody of 30 Israelis.

In a televised speech on Sunday, Ziad al-Nakhalah, the PIJ secretary-general, said the Israelis would not be released unless Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Saturday launched a surprise attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza.

During the attack, Hamas militants broke through the security fence that separate the Gaza Strip from Israel and stormed nearby communities, killing and capturing Israelis.

The Gaza-based Health Ministry's latest update on Sunday said the death toll from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has risen to 413, with more than 2,300 others injured, while Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported the death toll in Israel has reached 700.