Israel's military has launched a series of air strikes on Palestinian positions in Gaza after a barrage of rocket fire - the biggest in years - from the Strip amid soaring frustration in the coastal enclave over a crippling 12-year Israeli-imposed siege.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday hit more than 35 targets belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to Israel's military. The strikes came after the Israeli army said Palestinian fighters were behind a "barrage of projectiles" fired from Gaza into southern Israel.

The firing of the rockets and mortars came as Islamic Jihad vowed to take revenge after a deadly attack against its members last week.