The Israeli military carried out a drone strike against a Hamas observation post in the Gaza Strip in response to renewed unrest by Palestinians along the border on Friday.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said hundreds of Palestinians rioted at the Israeli border on Friday afternoon, including setting off explosive devices at the security barrier and hurling grenades at troops.
According to the IDF, soldiers stationed in the area responded with counterinsurgency assets and, in some cases, live fire.
The IDF said no soldiers were injured.
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As the protest dissipated, the military said it carried out a drone strike against a Hamas observation post near the border. No injuries were initially reported.
The terrorist group that controls the area appears to be regularly carrying out provocations on the border. The attack was seen as a warning to Hamas.
Footage of the unrest showed tires being set on fire along the Israeli security barrier and troops responding with tear gas.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said nine Palestinians were injured by Israeli fire and crowd dispersal devices. According to Palestinian media, among the injured was a photojournalist who was hit in the hand by a tear gas canister.
The incident comes at a time when Israeli security forces are on high alert during the Rosh Hashanah holiday and warnings and intelligence tips about possible terrorist attacks are increasing.
The unrest also came after six Palestinian rioters were killed on Wednesday when they tried to detonate a makeshift bomb at the border.
Tires burn as Palestinian rioters clash with Israeli soldiers along the Israel-Gaza border on September 15, 2023. (MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)
According to the IDF, hundreds of rioters took part in Wednesday’s violent protest, including some who hurled explosive devices and grenades at the security barrier. The troops responded with counterinsurgency assets.
At one point during Wednesday’s unrest, Palestinians attempted to plant and detonate a makeshift bomb against troops operating near the border fence. However, the bomb exploded prematurely in the Gaza Strip, causing fatalities.
In a statement, Hamas said it mourned the six “heroic martyrs” killed in the blast.
There have been several unrests along the Gaza border in recent weeks.
On September 6, Palestinians detonated a large explosive device during an uprising on the Gaza border, in which several explosive devices exploded and grenades were hurled at the border barrier in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The recent unrest signals a return by Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip to a policy of regular mass protests and violence along the border, as Hamas seeks to draw attention to deteriorating living conditions in the impoverished coastal strip after Qatar, the regime’s largest donor, has its monthly Payouts reduced.
A Palestinian rioter runs along the Israel-Gaza border east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during clashes with Israeli soldiers on September 15, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)
Weekly protests along the border began in late March 2018 and continued almost every Friday until late 2019. It called for Israel to lift its restrictions on the movement of people and goods in and out of the coastal enclave and called for the return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to areas that are now part of the Jewish state.
Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to prevent Hamas from arming itself freely for war and attacks.
Weekly protests at the border in 2018 and 2019 frequently featured violence, including throwing explosives, stones and firebombs at IDF soldiers, as well as attempts to storm and sabotage the border fence, and in some cases live fire Fire at Israeli soldiers. Troops often responded with rubber bullets and tear gas as well as live fire.
More than 200 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured in the unrest.
In addition, Palestinians regularly flew helium balloons containing explosives and incendiary devices into Israel, starting fires that destroyed large areas of foliage.