BICOM

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot met this morning with the head of Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Hertzi Halevy, and the Gaza Brigade Commander Brig.-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs as violence intensified on the Gaza border over the weekend.

20,000 Gazans gathered along the Gaza border on Friday, throwing bombs and grenades at IDF soldiers, who responded with crowd-control measures and live fire. The protestors also burnt tires and a number of attempts were made to break through the border and enter Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the chest. The ministry said that more than 400 were injured on Friday, including 126 by live fire. On Sunday an IDF aircraft targeted what they described as a terrorist squad in the southern Gaza Strip after they had launched flying firebombs across the border. Four fires were started on Saturday and seven on Friday, including a fire near the greenhouses in Moshav Ein Habesor in the Eshkol Regional Council.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel will take firm action against Gaza for every act against the residents of southern Israel. If the reality of civil distress in Gaza is diminished, that is desirable, but that is not certain to happen, and so we are preparing militarily — that is not an empty statement.” Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt tweeted: “Another child killed by Israeli fire during protests in Gaza. Children should not be targets. Real efforts are needed to break the cycle of violence – Hamas must engage in reconciliation for the sake of the people of Gaza.”

Qatar has started funding fuel for Gaza’s power plant for the next six months. The new funds will double the amount of electricity each Gazan household receives each day to eight hours. Israel will receive the Qatari funds via the UN and deliver diesel to Gaza, despite the Palestinian Authority reportedly attempting to block the agreement.