Fishing boat on fire off Gaza coast
Photo: EPA
IDF attacks Hamas tunnel, naval force targets
Retaliating to terrorist infiltration from strip into Israel Tuesday, IDF jets destroy tunnel in northern Gaza, 2 Hamas naval force targets; IDF says it 'views gravely continued daily attempts by Hamas to damage security infrastructures on Israeli territory.'
The IDF attacked a Hamas terror tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip with fighter jets early Wednesday. Two additional targets of the Gaza-ruling terror group's naval force were hit.
A statement by the spokesperson's unit said that the army "views gravely continued daily attempts by the Hamas terror group to damage security infrastructures on Israeli territory, while threatening the security of both residents and soldiers, and is determined to realize its defensive tasks and ensure the safety of the people of Israel."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that strike came in response to the infiltration of Palestinians from the strip into Israel Tuesday, as well as in light of "continued attempts to insert drones and kites into Israel for the purposes of terrorism and arson."
Footage of the terrorists' infiltration into Israel Tuesday
As a result of the strike, Palestinian sources reported, a boat set to participate in a protest flotilla calling to break the naval blockade on Gaza caught fire.
Fishing boat on fire off Gaza coast. The IDF retaliated to Tuesday's infiltration by destroying a Hamas terror tunnel and targets belonging to the organization's naval force (Photo: EPA)
The statement further reiterated the IDF's oft-stated stance that Hamas was "exclusively responsible for the goings-on in Gaza both above and below ground, and will face the consequences of the terrorist activities carried out from Gaza against Israel's people and its sovereignty."
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted about the strike, saying, "The IDF destroyed another tunnel belonging to the Hamas terror group tonight. Attempts to assail Israel from the air, through the fence and below-ground will be met with an iron wall and the IDF's might."
IDF's retaliatory strike (Photo: EPA)
"It's good for the heads of Hamas to internalize that their military project is a failure and invest all of their efforts in improving the life of Gazans (instead)," the defense minister added.
Several Palestinian terrorists crossed the border Tuesday morning, getting several dozen meters into Israel, and set fire to an abandoned IDF post before returning to the strip. The entire incident was documented by the terrorists themselves.
IDF tanks fired at a Hamas post in the vicinity in retaliation.
Terrorists stole into Israel, set fire to an abandoned IDF post and planted a Palestinian flag nearby
The video published by the Palestinians showed the terrorists attempting to set fire to several sandbags and camouflage nets used by Israeli snipers during the weekly border protests near the fence.
The IDF noted that the Palestinians infiltrating Israel were under surveillance the entire time and that the incident will be investigated.
