An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement that the strikes, carried out on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning, were made in retaliation to an explosive that denotated near the fence when a military patrol arrived to remove a "suspicious flag."

Four soldiers were injured.

Shortly later, the Israeli air force launched a large-scale attack. The assault included airstrikes of a tunnel built by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs Gaza, in the Zaytun neighborhood in Gaza city; a military compound near Deir el Balah in the central Gaza Strip; and a military compound in the area of Khan Yunis in the southern Strip. Additionally, a tank targeted two observation posts, the military said.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) views with great severity the incident," the spokesperson said.

"The Hamas terror organization is accountable for this incident and its consequences, as well as everything happening in and from the Gaza Strip, above and below ground," the spokesperson added.