A statement released by the Brigades said that a “special force of the Zionist enemy infiltrated this evening in a civilian car three kilometers east of Khan Yunis. The force assassinated the commander of our forces. The withdrawal of the enemy led to the martyrdom of a number of people.”Israeli aircraft which helped extract troops were said to have fired some 20 missiles towards the area, killing at least five terrorists.Residents in the Israeli communities surrounding the southern Gaza Strip were warned to stay close to shelters following the incident, with several rounds of incoming-rocket sirens activated in the communities.The IDF confirmed that 17 projectiles were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, with three intercepted by the Iron Dome Missile Defense system. There were no reports of injuries.Classes were canceled for Monday morning in Gaza border communities following the night’s events. Local farmers were prohibited from working in fields near the security fence. Roads near the fence were also closed to the public, and all gatherings of over 300 people were to be held within closed areas.The flight paths into and out of Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport were also altered following the events in Gaza.Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum denounced the IDF operation near Khan Yunis as “cowardly” and praised the “heroic Palestinian resistance” for being alert and ready to confront any “aggression by the Zionist enemy.”Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “no political solution exists for Gaza, just as there isn’t one with ISIS” and that he is doing everything he can to avoid “unnecessary war.”“Believe me, we were a step away from exerting maximal force and I think Hamas understood this,” Netanyahu said. The prime minister was in Paris attending the Paris Peace Forum, and added that “currently, what is destabilizing the Strip are internal tensions and we are trying to prevent that.” The prime minister returned to Israel on Monday morning.The Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.Unconfirmed video out of #Gaza showing intense exchange of fire between elite #IDF forces and #Palestinians in #KhanYounis earlier tonight pic.twitter.com/NCCPXA9sHS
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) November 11, 2018