Israel air strikes on Gaza in response to rocket fire

Israel carried out air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in response to rockets fired from the Palestinian coastal enclave, the army said.

"In response to the rockets launched earlier tonight (Wednesday), the IDF (Israel Defense Force) is currently striking in the Gaza Strip," the army said, which a Palestinian security source said had hit a Hamas military site in northern Gaza but caused no injuries.

The Israeli army said that five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip but they were "successfully intercepted".

"Five rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory. The IDF (Israel Defense Force) aerial defense array successfully intercepted all the rocket launches," the army said in a statement.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from any Palestinian factions.

Israel's army added that sirens had sounded in the southern city of Sderot.

The rocket fire came after Israeli forces launched a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank in the early hours of Monday.

Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since the operation on Jenin refugee camp began.