At least four Israeli soldiers were injured when a patrol was hit in an IED explosion in the Gaza Strip. Following the incident, an Israeli tank fired at an observation post located in the area.
The Israeli troops were patrolling an area near the Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip when the explosion took place, the Israeli military tweeted. Four soldiers sustained injuries in the incident, the Israeli army spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, said in a Twitter post, adding that two of them were “severely” injured.
Gaza City under attack from Israeli warplanes tonight.
(H/t Days of Palestine) pic.twitter.com/cnQYKz1chc
— ChannelTheRage (@channeltherage) February 17, 2018
The Israeli army used a tank to target a “military observation post near the place of the attack.” The shots were fired at a Hamas facility located east of the city of Khan Yunis, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli army blamed the incident on the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas and accused the group of staging “fake” demonstrations to cover their operations, which involved planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
? Breaking: #Israel warplanes launch raids east of #Gaza, explosions heard in more than one place. #GazaUnderAttack #IsraelCrimes pic.twitter.com/jJn1SAF1rU
— Dr. Basem Naim (@basemn63) February 17, 2018
“The IED that wounded [four] IDF soldiers was placed under the cover of yesterday’s riot, attached to a flag,” Conricus said, adding that the IDF holds “Hamas responsible for all aggression from Gaza.”
On February 10, more than 50 Palestinian protesters were injured by Israeli forces, which used live ammunition to suppress the 10th ‘Friday of Rage’ rally.
The latest major clash between the Israeli military and the Palestinian armed groups occurred in November when the Israeli army used tanks and jets to attack Hamas positions following the mortar shelling of an Israeli outpost by another group.
Breaking news: IDF troops were attacked near the fence in the southern Gaza Strip area, an IED was detonated near them. More to follow.
— Jonathan Conricus (@LTCJonathan) February 17, 2018
In mid-December, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tel Aviv would no longer play “ping-pong” by exchanging rocket attacks with the Palestinian militants. He also vowed to destroy all existing Palestinian tunnels using some “new technologies” invented by Israel.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
