An Israeli Iron Dome missile- defense battery on Sunday shot down two rockets fired by Gaza militants toward the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

Upwards of 70 rockets and mortars were launched from Gaza at Israeli cities and communities over the past 24 hours, with Islamic Jihad claiming responsibility for the bulk of the attacks.

The military wing of Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, took credit for firing mortar shells at military outposts in the area.

Three Israeli civilians were lightly wounded from shrapnel Sunday morning.

The rocket fire triggered air raid sirens in Israeli cities, alerting thousands to rush to bomb shelters, while the army ordered that schools remain closed in several communities within close range to Gaza.

A slew of retaliatory Israeli air strikes launched through the night in the northern and southern Gaza Strip killed five Palestinians, and wounded near 30 others, Palestinian sources said.

The latest round of tit-for-tat violence erupted Saturday evening when Palestinian militants fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli army jeep carrying out a routine patrol along the security fence with central Gaza, wounding four soldiers, one of whom sustained critical injuries to the head.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to intensify military action to quell the incessant rocket fire, telling his cabinet that Gaza militants are already sustaining " harsh hits" from the air and ground. Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio that Israel must enable the military "freedom of operation" to counter the rocket fire.