Hamas on Monday urged Palestinians to hold another mass protest on the Israel-Gaza Strip border on Friday to show solidarity with those killed and injured during last week's border riots.
Some 30,000 Palestinians took part in last week's march and subsequent riots on the border, during which hundreds of protesters hurled firebombs, torched tires and stoned Israeli troops. Seventeen people were killed, 10 of them known terrorists, and some 1,400 were wounded.
While several small protests took place on the border on Sunday, and 250 Palestinians demonstrated near the border on Monday, the protests have waned and many demonstrators stayed back at a safe distance from the fence.
However, sporadic border breaches continued on Monday, and two unarmed Gazans were apprehended by IDF forces moments after crossing the border.
The IDF remains on high alert near the southern security fence in the wake of the violence last week.
Troops patrolling the border on Mondy found a bag containing dozens of firebombs. It is believed the bag was left there during Friday's riots.
"This proves that the riots Friday were nothing but a cover for terrorist activity and that terrorists were trying to use them to attack Israeli troops and citizens," a military official said.
On Sunday, security forces laid coiled barbed wire along the border fence, creating an additional physical barrier to keep Palestinians from breaching Israeli territory.
A defense official said Monday that the IDF is concerned that, as well as attempting infiltrations, Palestinian terrorists may try to carry out shooting attacks, place explosives on the border, or use anti-tank missiles against the troops patrolling the fence.
Another concern is rocket fire on nearby Israeli communities and on Israel's south as a whole if clashes between the IDF and protesters on the border result in a large number of Palestinian casualties.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians continued amassing tires near the border, in what the IDF said was a clear indication that they plan to torch the tires during this Friday's prowwww.
Protesters have also begun using mirrors in an attempt to blind Israeli troops and impede their ability to fire.
A senior IDF officer told Israel Hayom that deployment on the ground has been adapted to meet security assessments.
Palestinian sources said Monday that protest organizers have instructed demonstrators to film Israeli soldiers during clashes with the aim of launching a legal campaign against the IDF.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued a statement saying, "The military operates to counter the actions of terrorist organizations trying to turn the area near the border, where Israeli communities are located within 100 meters [330 feet] of the fence, into a war zone above and below ground.
"IDF forces are following clear orders tailored to deal with the current scenario. The tools used by the IDF include warnings, crowd control measures, and, as a last resort only, live fire in a precise and measured way."
Meanwhile, security forces operating in Judea and Samaria foiled two potential attacks on Monday.
The first incident took place around noon, when a Palestinian hurled rocks at security forces and cars near the Samaria settlement of Halamish, north of Ramallah. The attacker was wounded after troops fired rubber bullets in his direction.
The second incident took place in the early afternoon near the Samaria settlement of Avnei Hefetz, across from Tulkarm, when security forces engaged a Palestinian man who rushed a local checkpoint and refused to heed their calls to stop.
The man sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
