Middle East conflict
After unrest on the Gaza border: Israel attacks Hamas post
An Israeli tank stands on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. photo
© Tsafrir Abayov/AP/dpa
The recent confrontations are fueling fears of a new major conflict. For the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, border crossings to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank remain completely sealed off.
After new violent protests by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at the border In Israel, the Israeli army attacked a military post belonging to the Islamist Hamas ruling there. The army said the post was near protests during which shots were fired at Israeli soldiers. The attack was carried out with a drone. According to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, at least three Palestinians were previously injured by shots fired by Israeli soldiers.
Protest against blockade
According to media reports, Palestinians used incendiary devices and burning tires. Incendiary balloons were also sent to Israel again. These had already triggered fires in the south of the country on Friday. Palestinians also demonstrated today in fishing boats off the coast of the Gaza Strip in the Mediterranean against the blockade of the Palestinian territory.
There have been more frequent confrontations at the Gaza border recently, fueling fears of a new major conflict. Last week, the military had already carried out air strikes on a Hamas post following confrontations.
Safety precautions for Yom Kippur
In view of the renewed unrest, Israel closed the border to around 17,000 Palestinian workers. During the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur on Sunday and Monday, the border crossings with the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will remain completely sealed off for security reasons.
More than two million people live in very poor conditions in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, USA and Israel, violently seized sole power in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the coastal area, which Egypt supported.