Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility after more than 100 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel from Gaza earlier today, the largest such attack since 2012.

Most of the rockets fell in open areas away from population centres but one rocket hit a residential district. No casualties on the Israeli side have so far been reported.

Alarm sirens were heard in the largest southern city of Beersheba, but most of the rockets landed nearer the smaller towns of Sderot and Netivot, close to the Gaza border.

Islamic Jihad said in a statement that it had fired several mortar shells at Israel in response to what they called "an Israeli incursion east of Khan Yunis" - an area in Gaza.

The IDF said a number of rockets were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.