Friday, May 18, 2012

Palestinians open fire on IDF troops near Gaza border

But don't call them terrorists.
(Ynet) Palestinian terrorists in Gaza opened fire Friday afternoon on IDF soldiers operating in Israeli territory near the border fence, in the Nahal Oz area. There were no reports of injury among the soldiers, who returned fire.

On Thursday the Ma'an news agency reported that seven Palestinians were injured from IDF artillery fire towards farmers near Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

The news agency said that two of the victims sustained serious wounds and were evacuated to the Shifa Hospital in Gaza. The IDF said that troops had performed routine activity in the area and that it was not aware of any injuries on the Palestinian side.

Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources said Israeli troops on Friday rearrested a Palestinian who was freed under terms of a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Hamas movement.

Arref Fakhuri, an officer in the Palestinian intelligence services, was arrested early on Friday at his home in the Jaba village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, they said.

He was one of 1,027 prisoners who were freed late last year under terms of a deal which also saw the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held captive by Gaza's Hamas rulers for more than five years.

The Israeli army could not immediately confirm the arrest.