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Palestinian injured as IDF thwarts Gaza attack
Security forces shoot at group attempting to place explosives near the border, wounding 22-year-old
Yifa Yaakov is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
A 22-year-old Palestinian was moderately injured Saturday morning when IDF troops fired on a group of Palestinians attempting to place explosives near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip near Khan Younis.
The troops noticed the group moving closer to the border. Realizing they were carrying explosives and attempting to place them near the border, the troops shot at the Palestinians, wounding the 22-year-old in the leg.
Palestinian sources claimed on Saturday afternoon that the Palestinians were actually farmers attempting to cultivate their fields in the vicinity of the border, according to Channel 10.
The incident marked the fourth Palestinian casualty in clashes with Israeli forces in as many days.
On Friday, one Palestinian was killed by IDF fire and five others were injured in scattered clashes along the Gaza border fence with Israel.
According to the IDF, Palestinian protesters gathered in the no-man’s-land next to the border fence and started tampering with it. Soldiers fired on the protesters when they did not heed calls to retreat.
Early Thursday morning, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man who opened fire on them during operations in the West Bank city of Qalqilya.
Israeli paratroopers entered the city to arrest a man and came under fire, shooting back and killing the wanted man, the IDF said.
An IDF spokesperson said the wanted man, a member of the Palestinian security forces, was suspected of shooting at Israeli soldiers in the past.
The man was named as Samir Abdul Rahman Yasin, 28, by the Palestinian Ma’an news agency. The outlet cited eyewitnesses who said Yasin had not shot at troops.
The spokesperson called the operation a “successful ambush.”
“This overnight operation exemplifies the advanced intelligence and operational capabilities of the IDF that suppressed the terrorist faction’s appalling intentions. The outcome of this mission makes Israeli life safer,” IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said
During searches of the area afterward, the soldiers, from the paratrooper special forces, found a Jericho pistol and ammunition at the scene.
This is the hand gun the terrorist from #Qalqilia shot at the #IDF troops. pic.twitter.com/gJfzC3Hkqy
— LTC (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) December 19, 2013
The army said there had been several shooting incidents in the area in the past, including one last week.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
