Israeli army finds 20-kilogram bomb near Gaza fence
Israel Defense Forces soldiers neutralized the bomb, but Gaza remains explosive.
By Gili Cohen | Feb. 18, 2014
A 20-kilogram bomb was found Tuesday buried near the border fence in the southern Gaza Strip. Israel Defense Forces engineers neutralized the bomb, working from across the fence.
The army described the bomb as an especially large and powerful charge that was meant to be detonated against IDF soldiers operating in the region.
“Terror elements are utilizing the area near the fence to plant bombs and carry out terror attacks against IDF forces and Israeli citizens,” the IDF said, adding that it was the fourth bomb found along the fence since the beginning of 2014.
Recent weeks have seen a marked increase in incidents from the Gaza Strip. On Friday evening, two rockets were fired from the Gaza into Israel, exploding in open areas. Earlier that day, IDF forces clashed with hundreds of Palestinians who had gathered near the fence in the Jabaliya area. At least four Palestinians were wounded by IDF fire. The Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported nine people wounded, one of them seriously.
Last Thursday, Ibrahim Suleiman Mansour, 26, was killed by IDF fire in northern Gaza. According to the IDF, soldiers opened fire at a group of Palestinians who were in a no-entry zone after some of them tried to damage the fence at the site.
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