Israeli tank fire killed two Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Tuesday in a strike against a position from which the IDF said Israeli troops had come under fire.
Hamas and Palestinian health officials in Gaza confirmed the deaths, near Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, shortly before noon.
A statement issued by the Israeli military said: "A short while ago, terrorists fired shots towards IDF soldiers near the northern Gaza Strip from a Hamas position. In response, an IDF tank targeted the post from which the shots were fired.
"The IDF will take action against any offensive and any attempt to harm our forces. It views the terrorist organization Hamas as responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip and everything coming out of it."
No injuries were reported among the IDF soldiers. An Israeli military vehicle sustained some damage in the clash.
The IDF statement stressed that, contrary to media reports, no directive was issued for civilians in the area to enter security rooms and bomb shelters. The instruction was independently issued by a handful of security officers in a small number of communities near the Gaza border.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit posted a video appearing to show Palestinian terrorists shooting from a watchtower, then a tank shell hitting the position.
In Gaza, the Qassam Brigades issued a statement saying they "mourn the two mujahedeen [fighters]" who were "martyred in a Zionist bombardment." No terrorist group claimed responsibility.
The clash occurred just before noon on Tuesday, amid Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which controls the coastal strip.
According to reports in Gaza, however, Hamas is planning to escalate the conflict with Israel in response to Tuesday's tank shelling. Tensions along the Israel-Gaza border have dramatically intensified since the Palestinians began staging weekly border protests in late March.
Hamas has instructed the population in Gaza to remain in shelters and protected areas and avoid congregating outdoors in large numbers. In addition, Hamas has ordered its military wing to cease all training exercises on all fronts and begin evacuating command posts, offices and training grounds.
Amid the escalating tensions, a number of fires erupted in Israeli communities adjacent to the Gaza border on Tuesday as a result of incendiary balloons and kites launched by Palestinian terrorists across the border.
One firebomb ended up in near a childcare facility in a community in the Eshkol Regional Council. No one was hurt and no damage was reported.
