Israeli troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip early Sunday shot and killed two Hamas gunmen, the militant group and the army said.
The Hamas fighters were trying to ambush the Israeli soldiers who had entered the Gaza Strip, the group said. The troops shot toward two gunmen who shot at them and had tampered with a border fence in an attempt to enter Israel, the army said.
The soldiers entered the Gaza Strip by a few yards as they conducted a “routine patrol” northeast of the Palestinian town of Beit Lahiya against attempts by militants to tunnel into Israel and carry out attacks against troops, the army said.
Israeli troops frequently enter the Gaza Strip to thwart the militants’ activity. Israel withdrew troops and about 9,000 settlers from the coastal area two years ago.
Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction, seized control of Gaza last month after five days of bloody fighting against the rival Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Since then, Israel has sealed Gaza’s borders, while Abbas has formed his own government in the West Bank. Fatah is much stronger in the West Bank, and dozens of Hamas fighters there have been arrested or gone into hiding.
In the West Bank town of Jenin, Abbas’ security forces arrested 15 Hamas members overnight, Hamas officials said Sunday.
Palestinian security forces confirmed that they carried out arrests, but declined to provided numbers.