Gaza City, Jan 2 - Israeli war jets and tanks struck several targets in eastern and southern Gaza Strip Friday night, wounding at least four people, witnesses and medical sources said.

Witnesses said Israeli F16 fighters fired two missiles and tanks fired two shells that landed at empty areas east and northeast of Gaza City. They said huge explosions were heard in the area.

Local ambulances took four people from eastern Gaza for medical treatment at Gaza hospitals, according to medical sources. The four were lightly injured.

Meanwhile, residents said Israeli warplanes carried out a fifth raid on a post belonging to militants from the Islamic Hamas movement in the southeast of the Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported.

The five successive air and ground strikes came hours after militants from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) fired two Russian-made Grad missiles Thursday night from Gaza at southern Israel.

The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) also claimed responsibility Friday for firing four mortar Shells at Israeli army vehicles near the border between southeast Gaza and Israel. No injuries or damages were reported.

Israeli Radio reported earlier Friday that two Grad rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed Thursday night at an open area in Negev in southern Israeli, causing no casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened two days ago that the Israeli army would respond to every single rocket that militants from Gaza fired at Israel.

The escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza militants comes as Palestinians Dec 27 marked one year since the 22-day Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip that left more than 1,400 people dead. (dpa)