Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after troops attacked

Israelis look at Gaza Strip from an observation post at the the Israel and Gaza border, Saturday, July 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says it has shelled militant targets in the Gaza Strip after its troops on the border came under fire.

The army said in a statement Wednesday it was "targeting Hamas military posts in the Gaza Strip" after soldiers were shot at.

A spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry said two Palestinians were killed and one was seriously wounded in the strikes.

The cross-border exchange took place a few days after Gaza's Hamas rulers agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to prevent weekend hostilities from escalating.

On Friday, a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier along the border -- the first casualty it has sustained in four years -- and Israel unleashed a massive offensive in response. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in the past decade.