A group of armed Palestinian terrorists were engaged by IDF troops shortly after midnight on Sunday as they attempted to breach the Israel-Gaza border, in what an IDF spokesperson described as a "serious security incident."
An IDF attack helicopter and tank opened fire at the would-be infiltrators, the IDF said.
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Palestinian medics said they retrieved three bodies from the site and Gaza hospital officials said that a fourth man was wounded.
Earlier, on Saturday night, rocket sirens blared in Gaza-adjacent communities, marking the second night in a row that residents were sent dashing to bomb shelters.
Sirens were activated in the city of Sderot and a number of kibbutzim along the Gaza border, as three launches were identified from the Gaza Strip, two of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
The third rocket exploded in the courtyard of a house in Sderot, causing heavy damage but no injuries to any persons, according to local police.
The IDF shelled targets in Gaza in response.
Amid the rocket attacks, a number of terrorists reportedly attempted to cross the security barrier from Gaza into Israel but were stopped by Hamas security officers.
Late Friday night, Israeli jets struck several Hamas targets in Gaza after terrorists fired rockets at southern Israel.
The IDF said several projectiles that were fired at Israel were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, causing no injuries or damage.
A statement by the IDF said the strike "was carried out in response to the rocket fire launched from the Gaza Strip earlier tonight [Friday]. The IDF will continue to thwart any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and considers the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for everything that transpires in the Gaza Strip."
Palestinian media reported that Israeli jets targeted a Hamas outpost in the Tuffah district of Gaza City as well as targets in nearby Jabaliya and Khan Younis.
The IDF said it struck two Hamas terror tunnels in northern and central Gaza.
The weekend incidents come amid rising tensions following several armed infiltration attempts along the Israel-Gaza border.
In less than two weeks, six heavily-armed Palestinians were able to infiltrate the border before being engaged and eliminated by IDF troops.
Earlier on Friday, thousands of Palestinians rioted along the Israel-Gaza border, hurling rocks, firebombs, and explosives at Israeli troops, which responded with crowd control measures and sporadic live fire.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said 16 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with IDF troops.
Parts of this article were originally published by i24NEWS.
