Officials in Israel and Gaza said Israeli aircraft have carried out retaliatory airstrikes in the territory after militants launched rockets into Israel.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said the airstrikes overnight lightly wounded eight Palestinians.

He said one strike set fire to a Health Ministry medicine warehouse in northern Gaza.

Israel's military said today that the strikes were in response to the firing of five rockets and mortars into Israel yesterday.

The military said aircraft targeted a tunnel and two other sites used by militants.

The Hamas militants who rule Gaza have largely refrained from attacking Israel since Israel's Gaza offensive two years ago. But smaller groups continue to fire rockets and mortars.

Source: Associated Press