Gaza: 2 Palestinians killed, reservist injured
During reserve soldiers' operation in southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, one of troops wounded as Palestinian gunman fires at him. Simultaneously, sources in Strip report two Palestinians killed by IDF fire
The soldiers were apparently spotted by a Palestinian gunman who opened fire at them from a distance of about 150 meters (492 feet). As a result, the soldier was wounded in the lower part of his body.
Hospital officials reported that the soldier's condition has improved and is now defined as light.
IDF officials said that the soldiers fired back and hit five Palestinian gunmen.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians reported that a Palestinian security officer was killed by IDF fire in Khan Younis. According to the report, a member of the Palestinian National Security Service was hurt after IDF soldier fired from machine guns and shells and targets in the city.
In a different incident, in the northern Strip, another Palestinian was killed by IDF fire.
Also Thursday morning, at least two antitank missiles were fired at the forces operating in the area. There were no injuries in the incident.
Ongoing operation
The operation in the southern Strip continued also on Thursday, with the participation of reserve soldiers from the 630th battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (res.) Omri and armor forces.
The Southern Command is launching many operations and campaigns in the Gaza Strip, aimed at hitting terror infrastructures, mainly against gunmen firing Qassam rockets from the northern Gaza Strip, and locating tunnels used for smuggling weapons in the Southern Strip.
Southern Command officials stressed that the operation was taking place all over the Strip and was aimed at exerting pressure on terror organizations, in a bid to stop them from arming themselves with weapons smuggled from Egypt.
The IDF only recently completed an operation near the Philadelphi route, in which 13 tunnels used for smuggling weapons were uncovered.
IDF soldiers also operated in the Northern Strip this week. In one of the incidents, the fighters killed seven Palestinians.
IDF officials said, however, that the terror organizations' motivation to carry out attacks remained high, in spite of the fact that the number of terrorists killed in the various operations in the Strip, since the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit in June, was close to 300.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
