JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli troops killed 10 infiltrators who came through a tunnel from northern Gaza into southern Israel.
The infiltrators emerged from the tunnel Monday morning between two kibbutzim near the Gaza border, the Israel Defense Forces reported. The IDF said its radar captured the infiltration.
One cell of infiltrators was struck by Israeli airstrikes, the IDF said, and a second cell was killed in a gunfight with Israeli troops.
Residents of the two kibbutzim, Erez and Nir Am, and some surrounding southern Israeli towns were ordered to remain in their homes with the doors locked for several hours on Monday morning as the IDF searched for more possible infiltrators.
Israel’s Shin Bet security service reportedly had warned the IDF of a potential infiltration in the area.
Several hours later, the IDF announced that four Israeli soldiers were killed when the infiltrators fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the military jeep in which they were riding.
