Jerusalem (CNN) — A barrage of rockets and mortars fired into southern Israel continued Sunday, the latest in a four-day escalation of violence sparked by a series of attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers Thursday.

By noon Sunday, 20 incoming rockets had been reported by Israeli officials.

An eighth victim died from Thursday’s attacks, Israeli police said Sunday. He was identified as Yitzhak Sela, a 56-year-old bus driver.

The attacks on buses, cars and security personnel killed six other Israeli civilians and one soldier and wounded more than 30 people, authorities said.

Since then, nearly 100 rockets have been fired into Israel, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav (Poly) Mordechai said Sunday. At least one Israeli was killed in an attack in Beer Sheva, authorities said.

Mordechai blamed Hamas for the rocket attacks, saying it “is not a movement but rather a murderous terrorist organization supported by Iran.”

Hamas has denied involvement in Thursday’s attacks and accused Israel of looking for a pretext to attack Gaza.

The office of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, in a statement Sunday, said Israel’s “rogue behavior must end.”

The Palestinian government “calls upon the Israeli government to cease and desist in its use of its unjustified aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and to respect international law and refrain from revenge, terror, and collective punishment tactics,” the statement said.

HT: Delusional In NH