IDF repels 70 Gazans who breached border fence

Dozens of Palestinians break through buffer zone separating Israel from the Strip; 5 arrested, the rest sent back

By Judah Ari Gross 10 October 2015, 9:39 pm

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Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

Gazan demonstrators approach the border fence with Israel during clashes with Israel Defense Forces troops on October 9, 2015. (AFP/Mohammed Abed)

IDF soldiers drove back dozens of Gazan residents who had breached the fence separating Israel from the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday night, the military said.

During the course of a violent demonstration along the border, some 70 Palestinians cut through the fence, but were quickly spotted by Israeli soldiers who were already on the scene.

Five of the Palestinians were arrested, while the rest were driven back into the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

The IDF did not detail when the breached fence would be fixed or what additional security measures will be put in the place surrounding the opening, for fear of revealing sensitive intelligence.

“Due to acts like this and past terror activities along the border, the IDF must consider any breach of the buffer zone with Gaza to be a potential threat both to civilians and security forces,” IDF spokesperson Peter Lerner said in a statement.

Following two days of protests along the Gaza border, some nine Palestinians have reportedly been killed in clashes with the IDF.

Seven Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were reported killed and 19 hurt on Friday and two more were killed Saturday, in clashes between the IDF and protesters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad near the border fence.