The Israel Defense Forces on Monday neutralized two terrorist squads seeking to ambush its soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
“Several terrorists were identified in the Shejaiya area [of Gaza City] operating near IDF troops and attempting to plant explosives,” the army said. The soldiers “fired at them, and a hit was detected.”
In addition, three Palestinian terrorists were spotted in the Nuseirat area of the central Gaza Strip, also attempting to plant IEDs. The military confirmed that an “aircraft attacked them and a hit was detected.”
On Sunday, the Israeli Air Force attacked several terrorists attempting to plant a bomb near IDF troops in northern Gaza. The previous day, an IAF craft struck several Palestinians who had collected a drone flown from Israeli territory into the southern Gaza Strip overnight.
On March 6, an IAF craft attacked a group of Palestinian terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip who had planted an explosive device near troops. Two days earlier, Israeli forces fired on an individual in the southern Gaza Strip who had approached them, posing an immediate threat.
The previous day, Israeli troops fired on a motorboat off the southern Gaza coast near Khan Yunis after it failed to heed warning shots.
The first, 42-day phase of the truce with Hamas, which went into effect on Jan. 19, expired on March 1, after the terrorist group rejected a U.S. proposal, to which Jerusalem agreed, to extend the truce for 50 days.
On March 2, Jerusalem announced it had suspended all humanitarian aid to Gaza. This week, Israel said it would also cut power to the Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that no goods or supplies will enter until further notice, reiterating that Israel will not agree to extend the ceasefire indefinitely without the release of hostages.