Five people have died amid an exchange of airstrikes and rockets between Israel and militants in Gaza following a breakdown in ceasefire talks.

Hostilities across the border have flared up in recent days, with Israel having retaliated strongly after two of its soldiers were wounded by gunfire on Friday.

Two Hamas militants died due to an Israeli airstrike and two Palestinian protesters were also killed, which prompted a wave of around 150 rockets to be fired from Gaza on Saturday – wounding at least two civilians.

More retaliatory airstrikes have followed from the Israeli military, targeting more than 30 targets belonging to Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihadi militant group, killing one Palestinian gunman.

The Protectors Of al Aqsa, a small armed pro-Hamas group in Gaza, said the fatality was one of their soldiers.

In addition to those killed, the Gaza health ministry said seven other Palestinians had been injured and the education ministry announced the evacuation of several schools in the area under bombardment.

The flare-up prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene his security council, with police reporting significant damage to a house in the coastal city of Ashkelon.

Officials said the two Israelis confirmed to have suffered injuries were a 50-year-old woman, who was wounded by rocket fire, and a teenage boy, who was hurt as he ran for cover.

The violence comes just days before a period of celebration for Muslims and Israelis, with the former due to begin the holy month of Ramadan and the latter celebrating independence day.

It is also less than two weeks before the Israeli city of Tel Aviv hosts the Eurovision song contest, which has been the subject of calls for a boycott.

Tel Aviv was targeted by long-range rockets in mid-March, but it was hoped that the annual competition would be held amid a period of peace.

Leaders from Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, and Islamic Jihad have been in Egypt for ceasefire talks and the discussions were thought to be on track.

Israel and Egypt have maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007, but after heavy fighting in late March, Israel agreed to ease the blockade in exchange for a halt to rocket fire.

But tensions have again escalated following allegations from Hamas that Israel has been delaying the implementation of the terms of the ceasefire, and both sides of the conflict remain on edge.

Air raid sirens have sounded in southern Israel throughout Saturday, as its Iron Dome rocket-defence system works to intercept any missiles fired from Gaza.

Roads near the border have also been closed to civilian traffic, as have two land crossings with Gaza and a fishing zone off the coast.

Bomb disposal experts have also been deployed to deal with any projectiles that land in open areas.

The Israeli army has so far confirmed successful strikes on at least five Hamas military compounds and several others belonging to Islamic Jihad, which has threatened to fire long-range rockets into the centre of Israel.

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