An IDF officer sustained moderate to serious wounds after being hit by a roadside bomb placed on the border fence near Kissufim. The Givati company commander was treated in the field and then taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba via helicopter.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack. IDF forces canvassed the area in search for the terrorists who laid the explosives.

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Residents in the Gaza vicinity area were instructed to stay within 15 seconds of a fortified space for fear of rocket fire.

An initial inquiry suggests that the officer was hurt upon opening a gate. It is estimated the blast was caused by a roadside bomb, but the IDF is not ruling out the possibility of a mortar shell explosion.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the officer had been injured during operational activity. "The area near the border fence is a war zone and terrorist organizations use it to place explosives and plan attacks and abductions against IDF soldiers."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the incident during a meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is currently visiting Israel. "Israel will retaliate heavily to this terror," he said.

Netanyahu also mentioned the Burgas terror attack that killed five Israelis, saying "It is an example we are in the midst of a tough war against an international terror network, organized by Iran and operating in wide circles."

Tensions run high

Tensions in the Gaza Strip have been running high in recent days. On Monday, two Palestinian terrorists were killed in two separate Air Force strikes.

One of the strikes targeted members of Hamas' military wing who fired mortar shells at IDF soldiers near Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. One person was killed and three were injured.

The army then attacked a terrorist cell in the Beit Hanoun area killing one terrorist, apparently a member of the Popular Resistance Committees' military wing. Another terrorist was injured in the strike.

Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, vowed to retaliate. "Israel's crimes will not go unanswered and it will pay the price for it," the group said in a statement.

Ilana Curiel contributed to this report

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