The explosion which left two of the soldiers severely injured was one of the most serious incidents on the border of the Hamas-ruled enclave since the Islamist movement and Israel fought a war in 2014.

Israeli jets struck the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Palestinian sources said, after four soldiers were wounded in a blast along the border with the enclave.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a security conference in Munich called it “very serious” and pledged to “respond appropriately”.

A Palestinian security source said air strikes hit three bases belonging to Hamas in the east of the blockaded Gaza enclave, but there were no details on any casualties.

An Israeli military spokesman refused to confirm the air bombardments.

Earlier in the day, the army said “two soldiers were severely wounded, one moderately and one slightly” when an improvised explosive device blew up along the border fence with Gaza.

None of the soldiers’ lives was in danger, a spokesman clarified.

In response, Israeli forces said a tank quickly opened fired at an “observation post” in southern Gaza.

Palestinian security sources said the explosion took place east of the city of Khan Yunis, causing no injuries on the Palestinian side.

Spokesman Jonathan Conricus said a “rogue group” had claimed responsibility for the blast, likely indicating one of the more radical Islamist groups, broadly called Salafists, who are present in Gaza.

But he insisted that “from our point of view Hamas is responsible” and said the explosive had been planted during a protest arranged by the group on Friday.