IDF troops shot and killed a Gaza man after he broke into a house in the
southern border community of Sde Avraham and stabbed a resident in her
home.
The incident took place around 4 a.m. on Monday morning near the
borders with the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Soldiers who responded to the call in the
border area chased and shot the man, who died at the scene.
The army said
soldiers made an attempt to arrest the man, but opened fire when he tried to
attack them.
The IDF Spokesman’s Office said that while the IDF and the
police are investigating the incident, they believe it is more likely that it
was an attempted terror attack and not solely a botched robbery.
Still,
they added that a simple theft has not been ruled out yet.
An army source
said it appears the man entered the house armed with a knife with the intention
of harming the woman, and was not in the middle of a burglary when surprised by
the homeowners.
The army would not confirm if the man’s body had been
returned to Gaza, or if he is known to be a member of any armed
organization.
In addition, they said it was too early to tell how or when
he managed to infiltrate Israel and would not confirm if a penetration of the
Gaza security fence was registered on Monday morning.
Sde Avraham is
located in Hevel Shalom. The area has been the site of infiltrations, shooting
attacks and rocket and mortar strikes.