Local sources report that twenty Israeli armored military vehicles, accompanied by Apache helicopters, invaded the al-Ghoul area in northern Gaza early Monday morning.Residents also reported Israeli shelling in the town of Beit Hanoun, also in northern Gaza. No injuries have yet been reported from either incident.
The invasion comes after Israeli troops allegedly exchanged fire with fighters from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, at the closed Nahal Oz border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip earlier Sunday evening. The gunfire exchange was reported by a PFLP spokesperson, but was not confirmed by the Israeli military.
The Israeli military also would not confirm the invasion or shelling of northern Gaza early Monday morning.
Israeli military incursions and shelling of the Gaza Strip is a common occurrence, despite the fact that Israel claims to have “relative calm” in relation to Gaza.
The attack comes just one week before the one-year anniversary of the massive Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip which began on Dec. 27, 2008 and lasted for three full weeks, killing over 1400 Palestinians – the vast majority of whom were civilians.
