Israeli forces foiled a massive Palestinian assault on a key Gaza Strip border crossing.
Using an armored car and two explosives-laden jeeps painted to resemble Israeli military vehicles, Hamas terrorists rammed into Kerem Shalom border terminal before dawn on Saturday.
Israeli soldiers at first responded with small-arms fire, but took cover as the jeeps were blown up by their drivers. In parallel, another Hamas armored car tried to smash through the Gaza-Israel border fence north of Kerem Shalom but was destroyed by tank fire.
Thirteen soldiers were wounded in the Kerem Shalom incident, and four Hamas gunmen were killed.
Israel’s top brass said Hamas had been denied its objective of killing a large number of troops and abducting others in a blow to the Jewish state’s morale on Passover eve.
Six Hamas gunmen and another Palestinian were killed in later Israeli air strikes in Gaza.
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