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IDF neutralizes over 100 bombs found day after violent Gaza border riots

“With armed terrorists like this only minutes away from Israeli families, it’s the IDF’s duty to protect them,” the army said in a statement.

By: World Israel News
AP contributed to this story.

The IDF said Saturday that it neutralized over 100 explosives thrown at them by terrorists rioting at the Gaza border the previous day.

Over 20,000 Palestinians gathered at five locations along Gaza Strip’s frontier with Israel Friday in response to calls by Hamas, the terrorist group that has controlled Gaza since seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Two of the dead were children, aged 12 and 14, the Gaza Health Ministry said, adding that all the dead had gunshot wounds. At least 90 other protesters were wounded by live fire, officials said.

At the border fence, protesters burned dozens of tires, using the thick black smoke as a screen to throw rocks and explosives toward Israeli troops stationed on the opposite side of the fence. IDF soldiers responded with tear gas and gunfire.

The Israeli military said in a statement that in response to “over 100 grenades and explosive devices” hurled at troops during the protests, Israeli aircraft carried out two airstrikes on Hamas positions in the Strip. No Israeli casualties were reported.

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“IMAGINE: A mob of 20K people, throwing bombs & grenades, attempting to reach your home. The people of southern Israel don’t have to imagine; this is happening right now on Israel’s border fence with Gaza. Our troops are there to do what is necessary to protect Israeli civilians,” the IDF tweeted on Friday.

The next day, the IDF posted photos of bombs and other explosive material found in Israeli territory.

“Look at what we found this morning after 20K Palestinians from #Gaza swarmed #Israel’s border fence last night,” IDF spokesperson Peter Lerner stated.

“With armed terrorists like this only minutes away from Israeli families, it’s the IDF’s duty to protect them,” the army said in a statement.