Afrasianet - An explosive device wounded four Israeli soldiers, two severely, near the border fence with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, reportedly spurring Israeli air strikes later in the day against Palestinian militant targets.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, which occurred along the southern frontier of the territory, controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.

“Today’s incident on the Gaza Strip border is severe. We will respond appropriately,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli media said it was the highest number of Israelis wounded in a single incident since the 2014 Gaza war.

An Israeli army spokesman said the explosive device had been hidden near the fence a day earlier, attached to a flag, during a Palestinian protest along the border.

Palestinian officials said that afterwards Israeli jets struck two Hamas training camps and a third belonging to a smaller militant group, causing no injuries.

The Israeli army would not comment on the reports of the air strikes.