13 IDF soldiers were wounded early Saturday morning (19 April) when three explosive-laden vehicles, two disguised as military jeeps and an armored vehicle, approached under heavy morning fog the Kerem Shalom central crossing for supplies through which approximately 200 humanitarian aid trucks enter per week. Terrorists triggered the explosives in the two jeeps, wounding thirteen IDF soldiers; one moderately-seriously, two moderately and eight lightly. Four terrorists were killed in the incident; their attempts to detonate the third vehicle were foiled. The bombing attack was combined with a barrage of 15 mortar shells fired at the area.
An IDF force thwarted an attempt by three Palestinian gunmen to infiltrate Israel near the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Gaza Thursday noon (17 April). The Nahal Oz fuel terminal was forced to close again after Palestinian snipers fired at the terminal.
Kassam fire continues
At least 16 Kassam rockets were fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip on Friday (18 April), one hitting high-tension power lines in Sderot, causing an electricity blackout. Another landed in the yard of a house in Sderot; two women suffered shock. Yet another exploded near a school. On Thursday, 17 rockets were fired at the western Negev, including an upgraded Kassam rocket which activated the "color red" alert in Ashkelon.
At least 19 Kassam rockets were fired towards Israel during the day (Wednesday, 16 April), with 9 exploding on Wednesday afternoon throughout the western Negev, damaging several homes in Kibbutz Nir Am. Another rocket landed in Sderot's industrial zone. An additional 10 were fired Wednesday night. Four of the rockets landed within Eshkol Regional Council limits, three fell in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council and one landed south of the town of Netivot.
April 16
Three IDF soldiers were killed Wednesday morning (16 April) in a confrontation with armed Palestinian gunmen identified approaching the security fence south of the Nahal Oz fuel terminal. Three other soldiers were wounded.
- The soldiers killed: Sgt. Menhash al-Banyat, 20, of the Bedouin community of Kseife in the Negev; Sgt. Matan Ovdati, 19, of Moshav Patish in the western Negev; and Sgt. David Papian, 21, of Tel Aviv.
The incident took place not far from the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, where fuel supplies to Gaza had been halted since the terror attack a week earlier (April 9). Despite the attack, fuel supply was resumed on April 16 as scheduled.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, and vowed to continue attacks against Israel: "We will continue to conduct many operations against the occupation, and continue to set ambushes of death against its cowardly soldiers," Hamas said in a flier which was published following Wednesday morning's attack. "IDF soldiers going into Gaza have four choices: to be killed, captured, seriously wounded, or become psychologically traumatized."
IDF forces operated (16 April) against terrorist infrastructure near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. In one incident, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at IDF forces from within a mosque used for storing a large amount of explosive substances and explosive devices. The use of mosques for terrorist activity demonstrates how terrorist organizations use holy sites, civilian centers and buildings to carry out attacks, exploiting the uninvolved Palestinian population.
Damaged Gaza mosque: Palestinian gunmen
opened fire at IDF forces from within a
mosque used to store large amount of
explosives (Photo: Reuters)
Explosive device found in Gaza mosque
(Photo: IDF Spokesman)
April 9
Shortly after 15:00 (April 9) Palestinian terrorists fired a salvo of mortars at the Nahal Oz area and penetrated the fuel terminal. Two Israeli civilians employed at the terminal, Oleg Lipson, 37, and Lev Cherniak, 53, both of Beersheba were killed.
Israeli civilians, employees at the Nahal Oz
fuel terminal, killed in terror attack
The attack on the terminal, which supplies the Gaza Strip with most of its fuel, took place just after the latest delivery of fuel for the Gaza power plant funded by the European Union. About 4 million liters of fuel is conveyed to Gaza through the Nahal Oz terminal weekly.
FM Livni: "Hamas, which rules in Gaza, can prevent any terror activity emanating from Gaza. The question of which terror organization carried out the attack or was sent by Hamas is irrelevant. Responsibility for every terror attack lies with Hamas - and Hamas must bear the consequences."
- Statement by FM Spokesman
• Israel submits complaint to the United Nations:
"Today’s attack proves once again that the terrorists in Gaza not only wish to harm Israelis; they also want to harm the civilian infrastructure that allows for any semblance of normal life in the Gaza Strip. While Israel facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the terrorists cynically attack those very crossing points." (full text)
• Overnight, the IDF operated in the southern Gaza Strip against Palestinian sniper fire directed at Israeli farmers. During exchanges of fire, an IDF soldier, St.-Sgt. Sayef Bisan, 21, of the Druze village of Jat in the western Galilee was killed and two other soldiers were lightly wounded.