IDF investigates whether same gunman carried out 2 Gaza sniper attacks

An Israeli military investigation seeks to determine whether a single gunman executed two recent sniper attacks on the Gaza border, one of which resulted in the death of a young IDF soldier.

By: World Israel News Staff

Following the death on July 20 of Staff Sgt. Aviv Levi, who was killed in a sniper attack near the Gaza border, the Israeli military launched an inquiry seeking to tie the attack to a similar subsequent incident.

Specifically, the IDF is probing whether the same individual carried out both sniper attacks, the second of which resulted in moderate wounds to an Israeli soldier.

While both soldiers donned protective ceramic vests at the time of the attacks, Levi did not survive, representing the first Israeli fatality caused by an attack emanating from the coastal enclave since the 2014 Gaza war.

Based on information provided by a source within the IDF’s Southern Command, Walla reported that the attack probably was not officially sanctioned by the Hamas terror group, which rules the strip with an iron fist but struggles to control rival extremist factions such as Islamic Jihad and other splinter terror groups.

The Walla report did, however, posit that the culprit, or culprits, received some assistance from Hamas to carry out the attacks. To that end, the report quoted the IDF source’s suspicion that the sniper benefited from Hamas-orchestrated rioting, which likely distracted IDF troops while the the attack was perpetrated.

A report soon after the deadly Levi attack indicated the gun used was a rifle developed by Iran from an Austrian model.

While the “March of Return” protests have been portrayed by Palestinian leadership, and represented in Western media, as “popular” and “peaceful” demonstrations, ample evidence has surfaced indicating that the entire operation was planned and coordinated by Hamas to provide cover for attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.