JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Friday carried out a wide-scale attack against Hamas military targets throughout the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli aircraft and tanks targeted eight Hamas military posts throughout the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, according to the statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

At least three Palestinians were killed in the fire exchanges, reported the Israeli media which quoted the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

The Israeli army struck these posts across the Gaza Strip in response to the "severe shooting attack" against IDF soldiers Friday afternoon from the southern Gaza Strip during the violent riots along the security fence, according to the statement.

The Israeli army said the IDF viewed Friday's attack and the hostile activity orchestrated by Hamas throughout the last months with "great severity," adding that Hamas chose to "escalate the security situation and will bear the consequences for its actions."

The IDF troops are on "high alert" and will continue to operate in order to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians, added the Israeli army.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman warned that Hamas is pushing Israel into a wide-scale Gaza war when he visited Israeli southern city of Sderot on Friday morning.

Israel was prepared to carry out an operation that is of "much wider scope and much more painful" than Operation Protective Edge in 2014, said Liberman.