If rocket and mortar shells from Gaza continue, Israel's response will be tough, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday, dpa reported.
"Our policy is clear: If the attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers continue, Israel's response will be many times more severe," he told his cabinet.
He called the experimental deployment of Israel's new Iron Dome short-range rocket defence system "a significant and impressive achievement." Two batteries have been deployed since last week near the southern Israeli cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon, and have shot down some nine missiles.
Altogether, however, militants have fired more than 130 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel since Thursday afternoon, including at least 10 Russian-type Grad missiles which can reach the cities of some 200,000 residents each.
"It is clear that this is only a partial answer," Netanyahu said of the Iron Dome deployment.