JERUSALEM, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army instructed residents living near the Gaza Strip to stay indoors, after its air force reportedly carried out a deadly strike in the Palestinian enclave.

"Residents living near the (Israel-Gaza) border are called upon by the military to remain close to protected areas," the Eshkol Regional Council in southern Israel said in a statement.

Hamas' Interior Ministry in Gaza said an Israeli aircraft struck Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, causing multiple casualties.

According to reports, the Israeli attack targeted a senior official in Hamas' military wing.

The Israeli army did not immediately confirm the reports. However, a military spokesperson said in a statement that exchanges of fire erupted "during an Israel Defense Forces security operation in the Gaza Strip."

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if calm along the border will not be kept, "we will act with maximum power."

The violence came as Egypt and the United Nations were attempting to broker a long-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, an Islamic Palestinian group that runs Gaza.