A sniper in the Gaza Strip opened fire on an IDF force securing laborers doing work on the border fence on Wednesday, the IDF Spokesman's Office said.
As a result of Palestinian sniper fire, an IDF soldier was seriously injured an evacuated to hospital for treatment.
The soldier is from the Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion, the IDF stated. His family has been notified.
In response to the fire, the IDF said that it carried out attacks on Hamas positions in Gaza, with both tank fire and an air strike. The incident occurred on the border between Israel and southern Gaza.
Farmers in the Eshkol Regional Council and Sdot Negev Regional Council were instructed to halt any work within a kilometer of the Gaza border fence. The police later said that as a result of a security incident in the Gaza border area, several roads were closed in the Eshkol Regional Council. It was not immediately clear if the road closures were connected to the exchange of fire or a separate event.
Hamas media reported that a Hamas field commander, Tayseer Asmairi, was killed by the IDF fire and several people were injured.
Hamas warned Israel that it was "playing with fire," calling the incident "a grave escalation." The Hamas statement added that "The occupation is fully responsible for all of the consequences of the escalation. The resistance has a right to defend itself and its people."
"This is a severe incident - the second within a week - in which quiet has been callously violated. The IDF will continue to respond to every attempt to harm Israeli soldiers and civilians. Hamas is responsible for safeguarding the quiet in the Strip," the military said in a statement.
The incident comes after a rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Friday, prompting the first IAF retaliatory strikes in the Strip since Operation Protective Edge ended in August.