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Gaza militants fire ‘barrage of projectiles’ at southern Israel: army
JERUSALEM, May 29, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Palestinian militants in the Gaza
Strip fired a “barrage of projectiles” at southern Israel on Tuesday, the
army said, as tensions in the border area simmered.
Some of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defence
system, the army said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of
injuries or damage in the Israeli communities.
On Monday, a Palestinian who approached the border fence with what the
Israeli army said an “intention of carrying out an attack” was killed by tank
fire.
A day earlier, a tank targeted an Islamic Jihad observation point in
response to an explosive device being placed on the border fence.
Three members of the militant group were killed, and Israeli media said the
Tuesday projectiles were Islamic Jihad’s response to the attack.
At least 121 Palestinians have been killed during weeks of unrest since
March 30, when Palestinians began calling to be allowed to return to their
historic homelands inside Israel.
The majority were killed during protests along the border, including at
least 61 on May 14.
Others have been killed in air strikes.
Israel says it is merely defending its borders and accuses Hamas of
encouraging thousands of Palestinians to break through the border and attack
Israelis.
Also on Tuesday, a group of activist Palestinians were due to set sail to
breach Israel’s naval blockade by boat.
The destination of the boat, carrying patients needing medical care,
students and job-seeking university graduates, was not announced.
The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli blockade for more than a decade, with
Israel saying it is necessary to prevent the Palestinian enclaves’ militant
Hamas rulers from obtaining means to attack the Jewish state.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1120 hrs