Gaza City - Hamas would not rule out suicide bombings in Israel, if the Jewish state escalated military operations in the Gaza Strip, an official of the Islamist Palestinian movement said Monday.

"The Palestinian resistance has the right to use every available means to defend the people in the face of the Israeli aggression, including martyrdom operations," Hamas Gaza spokesman Ayman Taha said.

His comments come as Israel debates a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip in response to an increase in rocket fire from the salient, following the end Friday of a six-month truce between Israel and the Palestinian militias.

Taha warned Israel that if it did launch such an operation, "the Palestinian people and their resistance powers will know how to respond to the aggression and foil its aims."

Militants, mainly from the Islamic Jihad, have launched over 60 missiles and mortars at southern Israel since the end of the truce. Israel has launched air attacks on rocket-launching squads, most recently on Sunday night. (dpa)