GAZA: Israeli fire killed two Palestinian teenagers in Gaza, local healthofficials said on Sunday, after Israel launched attacks against 18 targetsallegedly belonging to militant groups in the enclave in response to anexplosion that wounded four Israeli soldiers.
The flare-up, which started on Saturday and had died down by Sundaymorning, was one of the biggest in the Gaza Strip since a 2014 war betweenIsrael and Palestinian militants.
It began with a bomb blast on the Israel-Gaza border that wounded theIsraeli troops. Israel responded with what the military said were airstrikes and tank fire against 18 targets belonging to Hamas, the dominantpolitical and militant group in Gaza, and Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli military said weapons-making facilities, training camps andobservation posts were hit.
Gaza medics said that on Sunday they retrieved the bodies of two17-year-old Palestinians killed by the Israeli tank fire. According toPress TV, the deceased were identified asSalam Sabah and Abdullah AbuSheikha, both 17.
The Israeli military said the tank targeted suspects whom troops thoughtswere trying to cross into Israeli territory.
No militant group in Gaza claimed responsibility for Saturday’s explosion.Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the Popular ResistanceCommittees, one of the smaller armed groups in Gaza, had detonated the bombthat wounded the soldiers.
“We will hunt down those responsible for yesterday’s incident,” Liebermantold Israel Radio on Sunday, adding Hamas was ultimately responsible forwhat happens in Gaza.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum blamed the violence on Israel.
“Hamas holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the consequencesof its continued escalation against our people,” said Barhoum in astatement.
Tensions have risen along the Gaza border since US President Donald Trump’srecognition in December of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. – Agencies