Israeli tanks shot down Hamas positions early on Saturday, hours after it said a rocket had been launched at southern Israel.
A statement from the army said the Israeli “tanks targeted Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip” in response to Friday’s fire.
The rocket, which set off sirens in southern Israel, was intercepted by air defenses without causing any casualties or damage, it said.
Sources from security in Gaza told AFP news agency Israeli tank fire targeted Hamas observation posts east of Rafah and east of Khan Younis, leaving no casualties.
Israel has been bombing Gaza almost daily since August 6 in response to the launch of balloons with firebombs, or, less frequently, rockets.
It also stopped fuel transport and closed its border crossing with the Gaza Strip last week in response to the attacks, resulting in the only power plant in the Gaza Strip being shut down due to lack of fuel.
It also restricted the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza.
The Gaza Strip has a population of two million, more than half of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank.
Palestinian territory has been under a devastating Israeli blockade since 2007.
An Egyptian delegation sought to mediate a return to an informal ceasefire.
Egypt has agreed in recent years to calm repeated flare-ups to prevent a repeat of the three wars that Israel and Hamas have fought since 2008.
Israel conquered Gaza from Egypt during the Sixteenth War of 1967, but unilaterally withdrew its army and evacuated its settlements in 2005.
However, Israel controls many of Gaza’s borders, with the rest under Egyptian control.
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