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IDF chief: Israel foiled multiple recent abduction attempts at Gaza border

Israel has exposed several Hamas plots to abduct IDF soldiers under the cover of the March of Return.

By: JNS

Intelligence reports indicate that Hamas terrorists intend to infiltrate Israel under cover of the weekly Friday riots, and that they are likely to attempt to abduct IDF soldiers and raid communities near the border, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot revealed.

“In recent weeks, we have had to withstand mass riots, including abduction attempts and efforts to infiltrate communities,” Eizenkot said on Tuesday, speaking about events along the Israel-Gaza border.

Eizenkot was speaking at a farewell ceremony for retiring Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai. He is being succeeded by Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rokon.

Over the past month, amid the weekly Friday demonstrations and riots by thousands of Palestinians near the Gaza border fence, the IDF has obtained intelligence that Hamas terrorists intend to infiltrate Israel under cover of the violence, and that they are likely to attempt to abduct soldiers and raid Israeli communities near the border.

Earlier this week, within a two-hour period, Palestinian rioters from Gaza attempted to infiltrate Israel three times.

Israeli forces killed three Palestinian terrorists during the attempts and arrested others.