IDF kills 2 Palestinians near Gaza
Troops spot three suspicious figures crawling from Gaza Strip into Israeli territory Sunday evening. Soldiers fire at suspects, Palestinian sources say two of them killed by army
IDF troops killed two Palestinians near the Gaza Strip’s Kissufim crossing Sunday evening.
The incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. Sunday, after the troops spotted three suspicious figures crawling near a barbed wire fence. The barrier is located near the Palestinian area and is intended to delay infiltrators who seek to enter Israel before they reach the main security fence in the area.
The soldiers opened fire after noticing the suspects were carrying an object that appeared to be an explosive device.
IDF officials estimate the Palestinians planned to place an explosive device on a road used by military vehicles traveling in the area.
‘Border not completely quiet’
In the wake of the incident, the army is preparing for the possibility of Qassam rocket or mortar attacks by Palestinian terror groups in response to the killing of the two Palestinians.
The killed Palestinians have not yet been identified.
Army sources noted that “the border between the Strip and Israel is not completely quiet. There are occasional incidents.”
“The troops identify figures who attempt to approach the roads and sometimes find explosive devices placed there,” one source said. “The object the three (Palestinians) were spotted carrying (Sunday) is apparently an explosive device they intended to place (in the area.)”
Bomb found near fence on Saturday
On Saturday, soldiers found an explosive device near the Gaza Strip security fence. Officials estimate the Palestinians placed it there the previous night.
Notably, in the wake of the Gaza Strip pullout, the IDF has been using a variety of technological means, as well as manned positions and armored vehicles, to secure the border area.
Army sources admit that any incident involving Palestinian casualties, even if they were armed, could lead to yet another escalation in the Strip and prompt terrorists to fire Qassams and mortar shells at southern Israeli communities.
About three weeks ago, the IDF launched operation “First Rain,” which included aerial strikes at terrorist targets in Gaza, in response to a Qassam barrage on the southern town of Sderot and other communities in the area.
Earlier Sunday, Palestinians opened fire at an IDF post near an army roadblock west of Nablus, in the West Bank. No injuries or damages were reported in that attack, which marked the second shooting incident in the area Sunday. An earlier shooting attack near Nablus left no injuries or damages.
Hanan Greenberg and Efrat Weiss contributed to the story
