The IDF attack, which targeted a Hamas military compound, comes as retaliation for a breach of the border fence by a group of Palestinians, who allegedly brought improvised explosive devices into Israeli territory on Sunday.
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“The IDF views with great severity any attempt to damage the security fence or security infrastructure, and will not allow the region to become a combat zone. Hamas is responsible for all events originating from the Gaza Strip and its consequences,” the IDF spokesperson said on Twitter.
On Sunday evening, Israeli soldiers patrolling the Gaza-Israel border found two explosive devices placed by Palestinians. The bombs, the IDF believes, were placed by Hamas operatives who managed to cross into Israel earlier in the day. In response, the IDF launched artillery fire on known Hamas positions in the area. It was then followed by a strike against a Hamas compound on Monday morning.
“The Hamas terrorist organization is solely responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip from above and below the ground,” the IDF stressed on Monday.
Monday’s strike comes amid a brutal crackdown on the Palestinian protesters in Gaza. The protests began on March 30 and are expected to continue until May 15. The weekly “March of Return” rallies have turned the Israeli Palestinian border into a battlefield. While Israeli forces ordered the activists to stay at least 500 meters clear of the border, protesters continue to attempt to breach the border. At least 29 people have so far been killed in the clashes with the IDF. Roughly 3,000 more were injured, according to Gaza health officials
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