The Israel Defense Forces on Friday attacked several terrorists attempting to plant explosive devices close to soldiers operating in the central Gaza Strip.
A day earlier, an Israeli Air Force craft attacked a group of terrorists trying to plant explosives in the same general area.
“A number of terrorists were identified operating near IDF forces in the central Gaza Strip and attempted to plant an explosive device in the ground,” the IDF said. “An Air Force craft attacked the terrorists.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the IAF struck terrorists engaged in “suspicious activity” in the area of Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor.
The suspects posed a threat to Israeli forces, the military said. According to Palestinian media reports, five Gazans were killed in the airstrike.
On Monday, Israeli forces neutralized two terrorist squads seeking to ambush soldiers in northern and central Gaza with explosives. The previous day, the IAF attacked terrorists trying to plant IEDs in Gaza’s north.
The first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which went into effect on Jan. 19, expired on March 1 after the terror group rejected an American proposal to extend the truce for 50 more days.
Nevertheless, Israel has not returned to full blown war in Gaza, instead opting to bide time in a bid to forge a deal to free additional hostages from Hamas captivity.
According to Israeli officials, there has been progress in negotiations with Hamas in Qatar, raising the possibility of a small-scale interim agreement.
