Jerusalem, Dec 29 (IANS): Israel's army said on Wednesday that its tanks struck Hamas' military targets in the Gaza Strip after gunfire from the Palestinian enclave injured a worker at the security fence.

Tanks struck "multiple military posts" belonging to Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian group that runs Gaza, the army said in a statement.

The attack was a "response" to the fire opened earlier from Gaza, which injured an Israeli civilian employee of the defense ministry. He was carrying out "maintenance work" at the fence between Israel and Gaza when the fire began, according to a statement issued by the defense ministry.

Xinhua news agency reported citing Israel's state-owned Kan TV news that at least three Palestinians were injured by the Israeli tank fire.

The abrupt escalation came a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas travelled to Israel to meet Defence Minister Benny Gantz at his home, in a move condemned by Hamas.