Israel's prime minister says his country is ready to strike harder against Gaza Strip militants if they don't stop attacking the Jewish state.

Hostilities along the Gaza-Israel border escalated sharply over the weekend, with rocket salvos from Gaza and Israeli strikes killing six Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that "the world must understand that Israel will not sit idly by while attempts are made to attack us. We are prepared to escalate our response."

The exchange of fire has involved two attacks on the Israeli military, an explosion in a cross-border tunnel on Friday and an anti-tank missile attack on Saturday. Israel often reacts more strongly to direct attacks on its soldiers than to the more common rocket fire.