A group belonging to the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades declared on Friday it intended to barrage Israel with mortar shells in reaction to what it termed "the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by the occupation forces."

In a written statement, the group said it would fire 200 "Shihab" mortar shells carrying the names of 200 Palestinians killed since the start of the 2000 uprising.

The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a violent offshoot of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, and is responsible for dozens of attacks against Israeli targets in recent years.

Earlier, Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip fired five Qassam rockets toward Israel on Friday, causing no injuries or damage. In a separate incident, gunmen fired an anti-tank missile at an Israel Defense Forces jeep along the Gaza security fence.

The IDF will impose a full closure on the West Bank and Gaza from Saturday night until Wednesday, due to fears of terror attacks during the Purim holiday and ahead of the March 28 elections, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided Friday morning.