The rocket salvos fired by Gaza militants into Israel last week have prompted the Israeli authorities to temporarily shut a nuclear research center near the coastal enclave, Israeli Army radio reported Tuesday.

Officials at the sensitive Nahal Sorek facility, some 35 km away from the border with Gaza, have closed the facility for several days due to the possibility of the longer-range Grad rockets reaching the area, Army radio said, adding that one rocket has hit the nearby town of Gedera and caused damage.

The prospect of massive missile strikes targeting numerous civilian areas in any future war has convinced the Israeli army to set up two new search and rescue (S&R) battalions, which would improve both the coverage and response time.

The army's announcement came days after a fragile Egypt- brokered unofficial cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militants went into effect. Mostly Islamic Jihad-affiliated rocket crews fired more than 200 Grad and Qassam rockets at southern Israeli cities and towns, injuring several people, causing property damage, and bringing commerce and schooling to a week- long near-standstill.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Deputy Home Front Command (HFC) chief, Brig.-Gen. Zviki Tessler, told The Jerusalem Post that establishing the new mobile units, together with the existing forces, "will allow us to give a balanced and effective response to the challenges ahead."

Tessler, who made the remarks during the intake of new HFC troops at an induction center near Tel Aviv, noted as well that the HFC was weighing purchasing lightweight camera-lade drones to help in assessing rocket damage in future conflicts.

The army recently tested two small Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles, Elbit Systems' Skylark I LE and BlueBird Aero System's MicroB, to see if they could fulfill such a role.

"This would give us as an independent capability without needing to rely on anyone to provide us with UAVs when they will be needed," Tessler said, according to the report.