GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli shelling east of Khan Younis injured two Palestinians on Thursday, medical officials in the southern Gaza Strip said.

Medical official Adham Abu Salmiya told Ma'an that two Palestinians were moderately injured during the shelling east of the Al-Qarara area in Khan Younis.

An Israeli military spokesman said Israeli forces opened fire after Palestinians operating from a nearby school detonated an explosive device and fired at Israeli soldiers.

He said the soldiers returned fire but did not record a direct hit.

Earlier, an army spokesman said a Palestinian sniper opened fire toward an Israeli farmer east of Khan Younis. No one was injured in that incident.

The Israeli army "regards these activities with severity," the spokesman said.

Witnesses meanwhile said Israeli forces responded by firing heavily at land used by farmers, causing a fire to break out in the Khazaa village east of Khan Younis.

The spokesman said forces tried to enlist civilian firefighters from inside Israel to put out the fires but militants fired at the soldiers who were in Gaza to guard them.

On Tuesday the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command said it fired four shells at Israeli forces southeast of Deir al-Balah.

The same day Israel's military said forces fired warning shots for "deterrent purposes" during routine operations in the Kisufim area adjacent to a so-called no-man's land along the border.

Palestinians also fired on a military vehicle the same day, the Israeli army said at the time.