Four IDF soldiers were wounded on Wednesday, one of them severely, after terrorists fired at them while they were on patrol in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, the military said on Wednesday.
The soldiers, from the Golani Brigade, were performing their duties in the enclave when they were attacked. The terrorists reportedly fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the troops, sources told Walla.
According to sources from IDF Southern Command, the incident was described as a “serious violation of the ceasefire agreement,” while other sources told Walla that “it would not pass without a response from the IDF.”
The terrorists emerged from an alley, fired at the troops, and attached an explosive device to a vehicle before being killed, KAN reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later wished the wounded soldier a speedy recovery and noted that the IDF would respond accordingly.
Later in the day, the IDF struck targets across southern Gaza as "a response to the ceasefire violation," the army said.
IDF destroys terror tunnels in Gaza beyond Yellow Line
The Golani and Nahal brigades, along with the Yahalom combat engineering corps, have been operating in a concentrated effort in the eastern Rafah area, with the aim of destroying the tunnels remaining in the area.
“In the past week, more than 40 terrorists were eliminated in the tunnel area,” an IDF spokesman said. “In addition, dozens of shafts and above-ground and underground terrorist infrastructures were destroyed in the area.”
In a separate incident, the IDF located and destroyed five loaded rocket launchers during operations in northern Gaza’s “Yellow Line” during the week. An IDF spokesperson said the launchers had the capability to fire into Israeli territory.