GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli soldiers shot and injured a Palestinian farmer on Tuesday in the southern Gaza Strip, witnesses said.

Forces opened fire from an army watchtower toward fields in Khuzaa, east of Khan Younis, hitting Hasan Shenyo in the leg as he worked on his land, witnesses told Ma'an.

Shenyo was taken to the European Hospital in Khan Younis with moderate injuries.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said forces identified "a number of suspects approaching the fence" between southern Gaza and Israel.

"Soldiers acted in order to distance the suspects from the fence," she said, declining to elaborate.

The area is "frequently used by terror organizations to plant explosive devices and carry out terror attacks," she added.