For the second time in two days soldiers opened fire on armed militants, defence forces say

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Israeli soldiers fired at a Palestinian militant on the Gaza border on Sunday, the military said, and a Palestinian medic said the man was killed.

It was the second such incident since Saturday when Israeli troops shot dead four heavily armed Palestinians who attempted to cross the volatile border.

“IDF [Israel Defense Forces] troops spotted an armed terrorist approaching the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. The terrorist opened fire towards the troops,” the military said of the second incident.

The soldiers returned fire and an Israeli tank fired at a post belonging to Hamas, the Islamist armed group that rules Gaza.

The IDF said no Israelis were hurt.

In a post on Twitter on Saturday, the IDF said the four men were armed with assault rifles, anti-tank missiles and hand grenades, one of which was hurled at their troops. “Once one of the terrorists crossed into Israel, our troops opened fire.”

Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) These are the weapons possessed by the terrorists who attempted to infiltrate into Israel from Gaza last night.



Their (unfulfilled) objective: murdering Israelis. pic.twitter.com/sQbMPK59sX

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials in Gaza or from militant groups in the territory.

Gaza is ruled by the Islamist group Hamas, which has fought three wars with Israel over the past decade. Israel pulled its troops and settlers from the territory in 2005 but keeps the enclave under a blockade, citing security concerns. Tensions along the border are high with frequent fatalities.