IDF troops killed four heavily-armed Palestinians as they attempted to cross the Gaza border on Saturday, the Israeli military said.
"Around 4 a.m. Saturday, IDF troops identified a number of terrorists approaching the security fence from the direction of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, RPG grenade launchers, and hand grenades," an IDF statement said.
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"IDF soldiers intercepted the cell as it was crossing the fence and opened fire, neutralizing the terrorists. During the incident, a grenade was hurled at the troops by the terrorists. No injuries or damage were reported."
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis told reporters that "a large-scale terrorist attack was thwarted. It is not clear if the attack intended to target soldiers or civilians, but a major attack has been prevented." He added that the cell's military-grade preparedness and the nature and scope of the equipment and weaponry its members carried, showed that there was a carefully prepared operation in motion.
None of Gaza's terrorist groups claimed the dead gunmen as members. Col. Jonathan Conricus, the IDF's English-language spokesman, said the military was trying to determine their affiliation.
He noted they were dressed in different uniforms and that they engaged in a gunfight with the soldiers before they were killed. No Israelis soldiers were hurt in the skirmish, he stressed.
Gaza is ruled by the Islamist terrorist group Hamas, which has fought three wars with Israel in 2008, 2012 and 2014. Conricus said Hamas bore overall responsibility for any violence emanating from the Gaza Strip.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum declined to comment on the details of Saturday's border incident but blamed Israel for the violence.
"What happened reflects the anger against the occupation's crimes in Jerusalem and against the continued unjust blockade of Gaza," Barhoum said.
Following the incident, the IDF struck a Hamas outpost at the Deir al-Balah area in central Gaza, Sky News in Arabic reported.
Palestinian media offered contradicting reports, with some saying three of the deceased were Hamas security forces who were trying to stop a fourth man from breaching the security fence, and others claiming the four were Salafists who had quit Hamas two months ago.
Hamas later said that the four "acted independently," adding, "Israel is being hit with the results of the constant pressure and rage in which the residents of Gaza live."
