Israeli troops nab 3 Gaza infiltrators armed with knives, flammable liquid

Three Palestinians were detained by Israel Defense Force soldiers after trying to infiltrate into southern Israel early Thursday morning, the military said.

The suspects were found to be carrying knives, bottles of gasoline and lighters when they were captured near the southern section of the border, according to the IDF.

The military did not clarify whether the three suspects had successfully passed through the fence at the time of their capture.

The suspects were detained and taken for questioning.

Last month, three Palestinian men set fire to an empty Israeli truck used for maintenance at the border. In the past, Palestinians have crossed the border to set fire to empty military posts.

On Sunday and Tuesday, two unarmed Palestinians separately attempted to cross the border into Israel and were detained, the IDF said.

While Israel has a high-tech series of fences and walls guarding its frontier with Gaza, both above and below ground, a number of gaps remain in the steel fencing surrounding the Strip.

These gaps have been used by Palestinians in Gaza to illegally enter Israeli territory, often with hopes of fleeing the beleaguered enclave.

While attacks on Israeli civilians by those infiltrating from Gaza are rare, last May, a Palestinian man who crossed into Israel armed with several knives attacked and lightly wounded a security guard some five kilometers from the border fence.