Soldiers belonging to the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion killed an armed terrorist near the security fence in central Gaza Friday morning.
The terrorist hurled a grenade in the soldiers' direction before being gunned down.
The IDF estimates that the incident was yet another attempt by terror organizations to carry out an attack along the fence or infiltrate Israeli territory.
"These attempts have increased as of late, especially on the part of cells comprised of two or three heavily-armed members that are looking to attack IDF patrols," an official in the Southern Command said.
"The terror groups' motivation has not been diminished despite their recent failed attempts; we must keep our eyes open at all times."
The army said similar incidents occur on an almost daily basis. Last Sunday soldiers killed two Palestinian gunmen spotted advancing towards the border fence between Israel and Gaza, just north of the Karni crossing.
"The terror organizations are trying to maintain a certain level of attacks and rocket fire against Israel, but they are also continuing to build their strength within Gaza itself," an army official said.
Palestinian sources reported Thursday that an IDF aircraft fired a missile at a vehicle in which three Islamic Jihad members were traveling near Rafah. The missile missed the vehicle, and three passersby were wounded.