Palestinian fighters attempted to infiltrate into a military base, across the border with Gaza, and exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who, according to Israeli sources, killed four. The Arabs48 News Website said the fighters swam towards the shore, close to the Zikim Israeli military base, and exchanged fire with Israeli naval officers.
Israeli TV, Channel 10, said that the dozens of shells fired from Gaza into areas in central Israel came as a cover-up for the attack on the Zikim base.
The army advised settlers living in nearby areas to remain indoors, and closed the Zikim area fearing more fighters might have been successful in infiltrating the area.
In an initial report, the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said a group of its fighters was behind the attack, and that it managed to infiltrate the military base.
It added that it would be providing details on the issue later on, but did not report any casualties until the time of this report.
In another release, the Brigades said its fighters managed to fire dozens of shells into Israeli areas, including 35 shells fired into Israel, on Monday evening.
Israel said Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired shells that reached the skies of Tel Aviv before being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile interception system.
According to Israeli sources, missiles were fired towards Tel Aviv, Khodeira, Asqalan, Ashdod, Ofakim, Ramat HaNegev, Eshkol and Merhavim settlements, and two missiles reached Be’er as-Sabe’, but landed in open areas.
Israeli Ynet News said nine Israelis were hurt, explaining that one of them was hit by shrapnel in the foot, one hurt himself while running towards a shelter, and the rest suffered “anxiety attacks”.
Meanwhile in Gaza, nineteen Palestinians, including three children, have been killed and their bodies severely mutilated, while more than 100 have been wounded, as the Israeli army fired missiles into several Palestinian residential areas, and homes, in Gaza.
The latest two casualties were a father and his child, who were killed by Israeli missiles in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, in Gaza city.
Shortly after six in the evening, six Palestinians, including three children, were injured by Israeli missiles targeting al-Mashtal area, west of Gaza city.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson of the al-Qassam Brigades, said Israel will not enjoy calm without stopping its ongoing military invasions in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, stopping the air strikes and bombardment of Gaza, and release all recently kidnapped Palestinians, mainly those who were released under the Shalit Prisoner swap agreement.
In a recent development, the al-Qassam Brigades said it detonated a tunnel under the Kerem Shalom military base, and fired six missiles at Israeli tanks in the Kissufim base.
