TEL AVIV – Israel warned that it would not hesitate to use lethal force against Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel from the Gaza Strip, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) told Palestinian media on Saturday.
The warning comes a day after a Palestinian was killed by the IDF along the border with Gaza.
“Those who try to enter the Israeli area are risking their lives,” the director of COGAT, Maj. Gen. Yoav (Poly) Mordechai, told the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency, adding that the Hamas terror group will be held accountable for any violence near the border.
Earlier this month, Mordechai revealed that two Hamas operatives were caught on CCTV targeting Gaza residents who held permits to enter Israel for medical treatment. The Gazans were tasked with smuggling four-wheel drive vehicles for terror purposes.
The IDF said at the time that Hamas planned to smuggle money to its operatives in the West Bank and in Israeli prisons.
In July, two Gazans were arrested by the Shin Bet security agency with tens of thousands of dollars stashed inside their shoes. The money was intended to fund terror attacks.