Washington, Aug 20 (IANS): The US Tuesday branded a Gaza-based group as a foreign terrorist organisation for firing rockets into Israel.

The move by the State Department against the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem came as the Israeli military hit targets in the Gaza Strip Tuesday after three rockets were launched from the strip into southern Israel, breaching a current 24-hour ceasefire agreement, Xinhua reported.

Sanctions ensuing bar material support for and transactions with the group and freeze all of its assets under US jurisdiction.

The Council was described by the department as an "umbrella group" of several jihadist terrorist cells based in Gaza that has claimed responsibility for "numerous" attacks on Israel since its founding in 2012, including rocket launches.

The group issued a statement in February declaring support for the Islamic State which has seized large swathes of territories in western and northern Iraq.