Hamas terrorists fire shots, IDF tank returns fire

After Palestinian terrorists fired shots near the Gaza border, an IDF tank targeted a Hamas post in response.

By: World Israel News Staff

Israel’s border with Gaza saw an escalation in violence Tuesday when Palestinian terrorists fired shots near Israeli soldiers close to the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF interpreted the shooting as an attack.

In response, an IDF tank targeted the post from where the shots were fired. No injuries to IDF troops were reported.

Palestinian sources reported that two Hamas terrorists were killed by the IDF’s fire and others were wounded.

“The IDF is prepared to target any aggression against Israel and holds Hamas responsible for everything happening in and emanating from the Gaza Strip,” the army stated after the incident.

According to the IDF’s assessment, one of the two shooters was a Hamas sniper, Ynet reported.

Hamas denied Israel’s initial account, saying shots were fired as part of a graduation ceremony for a group of fighters inside a training camp, according to an AP report. The terror group said the fighters’ families and Hamas leadership attended the event, without providing names.

Head of the IDF’s Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, was later cited in a Times of Israel report stating that the army admitted it carried out the strike in error.

Civilian security officers notified Israeli residents in the communities surrounding the northern Gaza Strip to remain close to their bomb shelters in case of a Hamas reprisal attack.

On Monday, an IDF aircraft fired towards a terrorist squad that was launching arson balloons from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.

These incidents occurred amid reports that Hamas is approaching an agreement with Fatah, through the UN and Egypt, which would include the cessation of attacks on Israel, including the launching of fire kites and explosive balloons.

With files from AP.