Israeli troops fired at armed Palestinians who came too close to the border fence with Gaza despite warnings.

At least seven people were injured, two seriously, according to the Palestinian Ma'an news agency. Ma'an identified most of the men as farmers.

The Israel Defense Forces said the troops feared that the men were approaching the border fence in order to lay down explosives in an attempt to attack or kidnap soldiers. The troops opened fire after repeated warnings, according to reports.

In a separate incident, tank shells reportedly were fired at suspected Palestinian terrorists near the Karni Crossing.