GAZA,(Reuters) – A small Israeli ground force entered the southern Gaza Strip at dawn on Friday, the army and local residents said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

An Israeli army spokesman confirmed military activity in the area against what he called “terror threats”.

Israeli forces frequently carry out operations in border areas.

Local residents said the Israeli force included tanks and other armoured vehicles. The army offered no details.

Tensions between Israel and Hamas, which took over the Gaza Strip in June after routing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah forces, have increased sharply in recent days.

On Thursday, at least one Islamic Jihad militant was injured when an Israeli missile struck a car in northern Gaza.

That Israeli attack came two days after the militant group claimed joint responsibility for firing a makeshift rocket that injured at least 35 Israeli soldiers in a training camp for conscripts.