Palestinian gunmen turned their weapons away from each other and towards Israel Monday evening, hurling grenades and opening fire towards IDF soldiers manning the Erez Crossing.
The troops responded with fire. At least one Palestinian was killed - a senior member of Fatah, and a number more were wounded. Palestinian sources said all the casualties were hurt by Palestinian gunfire.
None of the Israeli soldiers were hurt in the incident.
Palestinians identified the casualty as Jihad al-Madhoun, a Fatah activist wanted by Hamas who was apparently specifically targeted.
Al-Madhoun arrived at the crossing together with dozens of Fatah activists and hundreds of their family members hoping Israel would let them cross over to the West Bank, as they feared for their lives in violence-torn Gaza.
An initial investigation of the incident found that the Palestinian gunmen reached the crossing from the Palestinian side and open fire towards the crowds gathered there.
The fire endangered the IDF troops at the crossing, and so they responded by opening fire in return.
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Following the incident the army said that soldiers would respond to any activity that put them at risk.
"We will not get involved with what goes on on the Palestinian side, but when gunmen shoot at soldiers, we won't hesitate to shoot back," a military official said.
Severe tensions prevailed at the Erez Crossing this week, as a few hundred Palestinians gathered there trying to flee the Gaza Strip. Hamas armed forces were stationed at the crossing, preventing them from leaving and opening fire intermittently.
Hundreds of Palestinians wait to leave Strip (Photo: AFP)
The IDF is keeping the border sealed in the meantime, except for humanitarian instances, according to a decision by the political echelons.
Israeli forces however were on heightened alert in case the inter-Palestinian tensions were redirected towards Israel.
Following the incident eight Magen David Adom ambulances were called to the scene. The ambulances waited in protected zones, to aid in treating the Palestinian casualties. The IDF could see the casualties through the crossing's security camera.
Meanwhile, earlier Monday morning Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann said that Israel should allow Gaza Strip residents wishing to flee Hamas' terror and takeover to cross into Palestinian Authority territories in the West Bank.
On Saturday, Israel allowed dozens of senior Fatah officials and their family members to move from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.
Among those who passed through the Erez crossing
were Fatah's spokesmen in the Strip, Tawfik Abu Khoussa and Maher Makdad, National Security Commander Jamal Kayed, Fatah Secretary-General in the Strip Majed Abu Shammala, and a group of officials and officers.
After the officials' passage, civilians also attempted to enter Israel, but the crossing was closed and soldiers fired in the air.
Yael Branofsky contributed to the report
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