JERUSALEM, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army said on Tuesday that its forces bombed a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the afternoon, mortar shelling from Gaza targeted southern Israel, triggering sirens in several communities.

No damage or injuries were reported, and according to Israeli military statement, the shells might have fallen in Gaza before reaching Israeli territory.

Shortly later, an Israeli aircraft targeted a military Hamas post in the northern Gaza Strip, a spokesperson for the army said.

Local media in Gaza reported earlier that four mortar shells were launched from central Gaza Strip into Israel and one of them landed in southern Israel while three others exploded inside Gaza.

Security sources in Gaza said that Israeli tanks responded and fired at least two shells at a lookout post that belongs to Hamas armed wing.

No injuries were reported, but the lookout post which is closed to the border with Israel, was badly destroyed.

The violence came amid heightened tensions in the region. The last few weeks have seen several Palestinian rockets attacks and Israeli counter-attacks and airstrikes against Hamas sites.

Israel has been imposing a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas took over the enclave in 2007.

Hamas has intensified its campaign against the blockade with weekly rallies near the fence between Gaza and Israel. Over 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the rallies began in March 2018, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.