Tel Aviv: More than 70 rockets were fired at Israeli territory in two hours, 9 of which fell in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defence Forces said.

"In just 2 hours tonight: 71 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel. 9 of these rockets fell INSIDE the Gaza Strip. Terrorist rockets threaten innocent civilians--both Israeli and Gazan," the IDF said on Twitter.

Earlier, the army said that air raid sirens sounded in the south and in the centre of the country, including in cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod.