Israeli warplanes hit the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday after cross-border mortar fire by Palestinian militants, the Israeli army said.

Fighter aircraft hit "Hamas terror targets in the northern Gaza Strip," an army statement said.

"Among the targets were weapon storage facilities and an underground infrastructure used by the Hamas terror organisation," the English-language statement said.

There were no reports of casualties.

The strikes followed successive rounds of cross-border fire from Gaza on Friday and the launch of balloons fitted with incendiary devices into southern Israel.

Israel retaliated to Friday's first volley with tank fire on what an army statement called a "Hamas military post" in southern Gaza.

The latest uptick of violence came after US President Donald Trump enraged Palestinians with a controversial peace plan which would allow Israel to annex swathes of territory in the occupied West Bank.

But it has so far been on nothing like the scale of flare-ups last year.

Israel carried out airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday after three rockets were fired the previous evening, causing neither casualties nor damage, the army said.

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, but over the past year, the Islamists have gradually shaped an informal truce with Israel, under which the Jewish state has eased its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for calm.

Israeli warplanes hit the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday after cross-border mortar fire by Palestinian militants, the Israeli army said. Fighter aircraft hit "Hamas terror targets in the northern Gaza Strip," an army statement said.

Israeli warplanes hit the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas on Saturday after cross-border mortar fire by Palestinian militants, the Israeli army said. Fighter aircraft hit "Hamas terror targets in the northern Gaza Strip," an army statement said. "Among the targets were weapon storage facilities and an underground infrastructure used by the Hamas terror organisation," the English-language statement said. There were no reports of casualties. The strikes followed successive rounds of cross-border fire from Gaza on Friday and the launch of balloons fitted with incendiary devices into southern Israel. Israel retaliated to Friday's first volley with tank fire on what an army statement called a "Hamas military post" in southern Gaza. The latest uptick of violence came after US President Donald Trump enraged Palestinians with a controversial peace plan which would allow Israel to annex swathes of territory in the occupied West Bank. But it has so far been on nothing like the scale of flare-ups last year. Israel carried out airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday after three rockets were fired the previous evening, causing neither casualties nor damage, the army said. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, but over the past year, the Islamists have gradually shaped an informal truce with Israel, under which the Jewish state has eased its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for calm.

Israeli warplanes hit Hamas in Gaza after border fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel would do whatever was necessary to protect its sovereignty and security.&nbsp;Netanyahu&#39;s statement comes&nbsp;after an anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria earlier in the day.

In a video statement in English, Netanyahu said he held Iran and Syria responsible for the day&#39;s aggression. In a separate statement in Hebrew, he added that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both agreed to continue coordination between the two states&#39; armies, according to Reuters.

The F-16, one of at least eight Israeli planes despatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone&#39;s incursion into its airspace earlier in the day, was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel, an Israeli official told Reuters. Both pilots ejected and were injured, one critically.

Israel then launched a second and more intensive air raid, hitting what it said were 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defence systems.

In a video statement in English, Netanyahu said he held Iran and Syria responsible for the day's aggression.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel would do whatever was necessary to protect its sovereignty and security. Netanyahu's statement comes after an anti-aircraft fire downed an Israeli warplane returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria earlier in the day. In a video statement in English, Netanyahu said he held Iran and Syria responsible for the day's aggression. In a separate statement in Hebrew, he added that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both agreed to continue coordination between the two states' armies, according to Reuters. The F-16, one of at least eight Israeli planes despatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone's incursion into its airspace earlier in the day, was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel, an Israeli official told Reuters. Both pilots ejected and were injured, one critically. Israel then launched a second and more intensive air raid, hitting what it said were 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defence systems.

Israel will do 'whatever is necessary' to defend itself against aggression: Netanyahu

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Israeli warplanes hit Hamas in Gaza after border fire

Israel will do 'whatever is necessary' to defend itself against aggression: Netanyahu