Hamas terrorists open fire on IDF troops, Israel responds with drone strike in Gaza

Terrorists arrested while infiltrating from Gaza into Israel, as IDF drone hits Hamas position.

By JNS

An Israel Defense Forces drone struck a Hamas terror outpost in the Gaza Strip on Monday, in response to ongoing rioting along the border with the Palestinian enclave.

Hours earlier, a terrorist opened fire on troops stationed along the frontier, where Gazans have staged violent demonstrations on a daily basis over the past week.

An IDF soldier returned fire and identified a hit, according to the military.

Earlier in the day, troops also arrested two suspects attempting to infiltrate into Israeli territory before transferring them for questioning.

The IDF also attacked Hamas posts in Gaza on Friday and Saturday, in response to the riots and the renewed launch of incendiary balloons across the border.

The arson balloons sparked fires in southern Israel in the first such incident in two years, at the same time that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was delivering a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The riots, orchestrated by Hamas, have typically involved 100 to 200 Gazans arriving at four checkpoints along the border and throwing explosives and other objects at Israeli forces manning the frontier, as well as burning tires.

Jerusalem has decided to keep the Erez pedestrian crossing closed until Hamas ends the violence, thereby preventing 17,000 Gazans with work permits from entering Israel.