IDF: Palestinian who entered Israel from Gaza had bomb, knife

Military says attack foiled, suspect being interrogated after crossing the border from southern Strip near community of Ein Hashlosha

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said a Palestinian man who crossed the border from the southern Gaza Strip a day earlier was in possession of a bomb and knife.

The military said the arrest of the suspect late Wednesday night “foiled an attempted terror attack,” and confirmed that the so-called suspicious object found nearby was a bomb.

An eight-inch knife was also found in the area, the army said.

The suspect infiltrated into Israel near the community of Ein Hashlosha. He was arrested near the security fence, the military said.

The knife found near the Gaza security fence after a Palestinian man infiltrated into southern Israel, September 2, 2020 (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF said the suspect was being interrogated by troops.

The incident came two days after Israel and terror groups in the Strip agreed to a ceasefire, following weeks of low-level violence along the border and retaliatory strikes by the IDF.

For nearly all of August, Gaza-based terror groups launched hundreds of explosive and incendiary balloons, as well as rockets, across the border fence with Israel, which responded by conducting nightly airstrikes against Hamas targets and closing the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing with Gaza to fuel and construction materials.