The Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas target in the Gaza Strip early Monday after a Palestinian terrorist cell briefly infiltrated Israeli territory and planted explosives along the border on Sunday.
The IDF said IAF fighter jets hit a Hamas military compound in Gaza in response to the infiltration.
"The Israel Defense Forces is taking very seriously the efforts led by the Hamas terrorist organization to turn the border area into a battlefield while trying to harm and vandalize [Israeli] defense and security infrastructure," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement.
On Sunday, a three-man terror cell breached the border fence near the Israeli community of Kibbutz Be'eri, briefly entered Israeli territory and quickly returned to Gaza. Israeli forces spotted the infiltrators and fired a tank shell toward them.
In recent weeks, Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have staged mass protests along the border, and have drawn Israeli fire. Palestinian health officials say at least 31 people have been killed in the flare-up overall, including 25 people killed during the weekly protests.
Israel says the protests have been providing cover for attacks on its troops and attempts to breach the border fence.
"The IDF will not allow [Hamas'] exploitation of civilians to serve as a cover for terrorist activity targeting the citizens of Israel and Israeli forces," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement following Sunday's border incident.
"The IDF will retaliate against any terrorist attempt of this kind. The terrorist organization Hamas is exclusively responsible for anything that happens in Gaza or originates in Gaza, both above and below ground."
