*GAZA*: Israeli jets struck the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four soldierswere wounded when an improvised explosive device blew up along the borderwith the Palestinian enclave.
The explosion earlier Saturday, which left two of the Israeli soldiersseverely injured, was one of the most serious incidents on the border ofthe Hamas-ruled enclave since the Islamist movement and Israel fought a warin 2014.
In response, Israel’s army said: “fighter jets targeted six militarytargets in Gaza belonging to Hamas, including a terror tunnel in the Zaytunarea and military compounds near Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis”.
The army then reported a “launch was identified from the Gaza Strip atIsraeli territory”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a security conference in Munich calledthe Gaza border incident “very serious” and pledged to “respondappropriately”.
A Palestinian security source said the Israeli air strikes hit three basesbelonging to Hamas in the east of the blockaded Gaza enclave.
Two Palestinians were injured in the raids, Palestinian medical sourcessaid.
Earlier in the day, the army said: “two soldiers were severely wounded, onemoderately and one slightly” when an improvised explosive device blew upalong the border fence with Gaza.
None of the soldiers’ lives were in danger, a spokesman clarified.
In response Israeli forces said a tank quickly opened fire at an“observation post” in southern Gaza, causing no injuries on the Palestinianside.
Palestinian security sources said the explosion took place east of the cityof Khan Yunis.
Israeli army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said a “roguegroup” had claimed responsibility for the blast, likely indicating one ofthe more radical Islamist groups who are present in Gaza.
But he insisted that “from our point of view Hamas is responsible” and saidthe explosive had been planted during a protest arranged by the group onFriday.
Israel holds the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas responsible for anyfire coming from the blockaded coastal enclave.
The Israeli army responds automatically to any strikes on its territory,generally targeting Hamas facilities.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in a statement saidthey had fired at the Israeli jets overhead.
But Conricus said there was no truth to the claim.
Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, and the last conflictin 2014 was waged in part over tunnels from Gaza that were used to launchattacks.
Israeli aircraft hit Hamas targets in the southern Gaza Strip repeatedly inearly February, after it said Palestinians there fired a rocket into theJewish state.
Tensions between the Palestinians and Israel have been high since USPresident Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewishstate in December.
Netanyahu will visit the White House next month, a senior US administrationofficial said on Friday.
The March 5 visit comes after a war of words between close allies Israeland the US over settlements, and a scandal that has seen police recommendNetanyahu be indicted for graft. – Agencies