A Palestinian terrorist breached the Israel-Gaza Strip border on Friday evening and infiltrated the Israeli community of Netiv Haasara, where he set a greenhouse on fire and vandalized agricultural equipment before he was apprehended by security forces.
The chief security officer in Netiv Haasara – a moshav located less than half a mile from the Gaza border – alerted the IDF after first noting the blaze. Troops scrambled to the scene were able to immediately apprehend the terrorist, who was handed over to the Shin Bet security agency for questioning.
The military said it was investigating the incident.
"IDF forces identified a suspect crossing the perimeter fence from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory," a military statement said. "The suspect, who was unarmed, was arrested and handed over to the Shin Bet."
The incident outraged the residents of the area, who are already contending with months of Palestinian arson terrorism.
"The terrorist crossed the fence, hid among the trees, then set fire to a relatively large greenhouse. He was caught in another greenhouse. This situation is intolerable and it cannot be allowed to continue," said local resident David Fold. "They [the government] give them [Hamas] everything they want and this is what we get in return. Enough is enough."
Another resident, Maayan Schnior, told Israel Hayom that "a terrorist infiltration of the moshav is our nightmare scenario. It only takes seconds for things to end up differently. What if they [the IDF] didn't find him hiding in another greenhouse? What if he had charged into a home where a family was getting ready for dinner? This incident crossed a red line and we have to figure out what to do next."
The infiltration occurred shortly after the delivery of a $15 million Qatari cash infusion to Gaza, aimed to pay Hamas civil servants' salaries.
Yesh Atid MK Haim Jelin, formerly head of the Eshkol Regional Council, warned that "the grave incident in which a Palestinian infiltrated the border and set fire to an Israeli greenhouse proves my claim that allowing the Qatari money into Gaza was tantamount to paying protection money to the Hamas terrorist organization."
"The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet has to take action and stop the terrorist campaign that has been emanating from Gaza for the past eight months," he continued. "You can't stop terrorists with remarks and headlines, and apparently, you can't stop them with money, either," he said.
