Several rocket barrages hit Israel on Tuesday, setting off Code Red sirens across the country, just two hours after Israel's cabinet approved the Egyptian ceasefire proposal to end the week-long offensive in the Gaza Strip.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "intensify the strikes" should the rocket fire continue.

Police said that around 11:15 a.m. (8:15 GMT,) rockets landed in the coastal city of Ashdod, one of them hit the backyard of a home, causing damage but no injuries. In the kibbutz of Sha'ar Hanegev, one rocket directly hit a warehouse, causing damage to the building, but no wounded were reported.

About an hour later, the range of the fire expanded to the cities of Rehovot and Nes Ziona in central Israel. Sirens were heard also in the northern towns of Zihron Ya'akov and Yokne'am, some 135 km north of Gaza, but officials could not yet confirm that any rocket actually hit this area.

Israel's military spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said that following the approval of the ceasefire agreement by the cabinet, the military now holds fire. "We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both defensive and offensive," Lerner said in a statement. If the Hamas will fire at Israel, he warned, "We shall respond."

The military spokesperson's unit was not immediately available to comment on the fire but confirmed that at least six rockets were launched towards Israel, four of which were intercepted by Iron Dome anti-missile defense system.

The armed wing of the Hamas has rejected the Egyptian proposal, according to a statement posted on its official website. Hamas said the proposed deal is an agreement of "surrender" and insisted that Israel would release 56 prisoners it had arrested amid its operation last month in the West Bank, following the kidnap and killing of three Israeli teens.

According to the proposal, the ceasefire was supposed to come into effect starting from 9:00 a.m. local time (6:00 GMT) and to last 48 hours, after which there will be discussions among officials about the understandings achieved in November 2012 in the ceasefire agreement which ended operation Pillar of Defense.

Since Operation Protective Edge started, the Israeli Air Force struck more than 1,500 sites in the Gaza Strip enclave, killing 178 Palestinians and wounding 1,100 of them.

More than 700 rockets were fired at Israeli communities throughout the country in the past week, including in southern, south central and central Israel, many of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile battery. Endi

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