A Hamas militant was killed Thursday and two were injured in what Palestinians said was an Israeli airstrike near a training base for the Islamic movement in the Gaza Strip.

The two other Hamas fighters were moderately injured, medical sources said.

If confirmed as an Israeli attack, the airstrike could spark a new wave of cross-border violence between Israel and militant groups in the Gaza Strip.

The attack against Hamas base came shortly after an Israeli tank shell landed near a car traveling in eastern Gaza City, wounding three Palestinians.

One of the occupants was seriously wounded and the two others sustained moderate injuries, said Ashraf al-Qedra, a health ministry spokesperson.

The shell was fired as Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled in eastern Gaza City in a routine combing and leveling activity.

The Israeli army said it targeted a group of militants who tried to fire an anti-tank projectile at the Israeli forces.

Israel set up a 300-meter-wide buffer zone along its borders with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, saying the aim is to distance militants from the borders.