Gazans nabbed crossing into Israel with grenade
Three Palestinians arrested, transferred for questioning, army says; arson material also found on them
Three Palestinians were arrested early Sunday after crossing from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, the military said.
A fragmentation grenade and “arson materials” were found on the three, the Israel Defense Forces said in a short statement.
They were transferred to Israeli authorities for questioning, according to the army. Gazans, some of whom are seeking to escape the Strip’s dire humanitarian crisis, are regularly caught crossing the border into Israel.
The usually restive border area had calmed in recent days, after fresh understandings were reached between Israel and the Hamas terror group, the de-facto ruler in the Palestinian enclave, though some 7,000 Palestinians participated in weekly protests along the Gaza border Friday, the Israeli military said.
The IDF said some of the protesters burned tires and hurled rocks as well as explosive devices at soldiers. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported that 40 demonstrators were injured by Israeli troops, including at least 16 by live fire.
On June 29, Israel agreed to a number of economic concessions for Gaza in exchange for Hamas vowing to end arson attacks and other violence along the border, an Israeli official said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has faced considerable criticism from southern residents and politicians on both sides of the aisle for what they say is a failure to adequately respond to ongoing violence by Hamas and other terror groups from the Gaza Strip, either militarily or via a long-term truce.
Since violence along the border began picking up last March, residents of the Gaza periphery have also held a number of protests throughout the country in response to what they see as government inaction in the face of terrorism.
