IDF Major Ben Halel, who serves as Deputy Commander of the 101st Paratrooper Battalion, described the attack thwarted on Friday in central Gaza.
"In the Battalion area of responsibility in front of the riots in Bureij, a number of assailants hurled explosive devices at the security fence and breached a hole in the security fence," Halel explained. "From that moment, Battalion troops and additional forces, including Special Unit troops, operated in order to prevent a mass crossing of the security fence and fired warning shots towards the assailants."
"Most of the rioters returned to Gaza as a result of the live fire.
"During their retreat to the Gaza Strip, a report from field intelligence was received informing that one of the assailants had remained in Israeli territory, right under our location. An IDF soldier positioned near the location identified an assailant who approached him with a knife.
"The troops and commanders of the Battalion will continue to operate in a professional and determined manner as needed in order to decide any engagement with the enemy. [We will] ensure the safety and sovereignty of Israel, as well as the safety of all Israeli civilians and especially the safety of the residents of the communities near the Gaza Strip."
