Sirens indicating incoming rockets were reportedly activated in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council district, including the southern Israeli city of Sderot, not far from the Gaza border.
20,000 people were ordered to take cover in bomb shelters; however, it was unclear whether any rockets had landed on Israeli territory.
The Israeli military said that the sirens went off in the settlements along the border with the Gaza Strip because of machinegun fire from the territory of the Palestinian enclave.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Earlier the same day, an Israeli tank attacked a militant observation post in response to an attempted violation of the border by two Palestinians and shelling from the enclave while trying to detain them.
READ MORE: Israeli Tank Fires at Militant Observation Post After Gunfire From Gaza — IDF
A Hamas fighter was killed in the Israeli tank fire in northern Gaza.
Israel has justified its actions citing security reasons, saying it is defending its borders and blames Hamas for encouraging thousands of Palestinians to break through the border and attack Israelis.