Israel's prime minister has convened an urgent meeting with senior military officials following a rocket attack on Tel Aviv from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli media said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also Israel's defense minister, was meeting with his military chief and other senior advisers late Thursday to plan a response.

The military said two rockets were apparently fired from Gaza, setting off air raid sirens in Israel's commercial and cultural capital. It was the first time Tel Aviv has been targeted since a 2014 war with Gaza militants.

The rare attack is an escalation and was likely to trigger a harsh Israeli response.