JERUSALEM, Nov 23, 2012 (AFP) - The week-long confrontation between Israel and Gaza militants claimed the lives of more than 160 Palestinians and six Israelis, two of them soldiers, sources on both sides said.

Although Palestinian ambulance services were still sifting through lists of the dead and missing, the latest confirmed figures show 163 people -- civilians and militants, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

Another 1,235 people were wounded.

In Israel, rocket fire from Gaza killed six people -- four civilians and two soldiers -- and another 240 were injured, the military said.

The toll was the highest from any flareup between the two sides since Israel's devastating 22-day Operation Cast Lead over New Year 2009. That claimed the lives of 1,400 Palestinians -- half of them civilians -- and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its strikes had killed seven senior operatives, including Ahmed Jaabari, the head of Hamas's military wing, whose death on November 14 triggered the escalation.

It also said it had killed senior operatives in charge of smuggling and anti-tank operations as well as an Islamic Jihad member who was in charge of propaganda in Gaza City, among other top targets.

Under terms of the truce brokered by Egypt that went into effect late on Wednesday, Israel must "stop all hostilities... including incursions and targeting of individuals."

The military said it struck more than 1,500 targets, including 19 command centres, 26 weapons manufacturing and storage facilities and hundreds of underground rocket launchers.

"Following eight days of operations, the IDF has accomplished its pre-determined objective for Operation Pillar of Defence, and has inflicted severe damage to Hamas and its military capabilities," it said.

During the confrontation, the army said 933 Gaza rockets hit Israel, while another 421 were intercepted in mid-air by the US-funded Iron Dome air anti-missile system.

Of those that landed, 58 hit urban areas while the rest fell in open fields, causing no damage.

Israel has so far invested $1 billion (778 million euros) in the Iron Dome system. Each time a battery is fired it reportedly costs almost $50,000 (39,000 euros).

The army said Iron Dome had an 84 percent success rate in intercepting rockets.

zak/hmw/al