BICOM

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has sent additional soldiers and equipment to the Gaza border to deal with a potential increase in attacks from Gaza.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot announced the decision yesterday after an increase in attacks on the border fence in the last two weeks. Last Friday about 20,000 people rioted and threw more than 100 grenades and explosive devices at Israeli solders. More than twenty Palestinians were able to break through the border fence and seven Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire. In the last week, riots have continued every day. On Wednesday, a Palestinian teenager was reportedly killed and Israeli soldiers apprehended two Palestinian men who broke through the border fence, one was armed with a knife.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has threatened to block an agreement in which Qatar will pay $60m for fuel to supply Gaza’s sole power plant. Israel’s KAN Radio said the Palestinian Authority had warned Hamas that if did not hand over control of the Gaza Strip to the PA by end of the month, it would intensify its sanctions and stop all funding to Gaza. This morning, three diesel tankers from an Israeli power company were due to supply power plants in Gaza but the deal was blocked by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The situation in Gaza may be divided in two. First of all, the permanent effort by Hamas to arm itself and organise against Israel. Second, in the last year Abbas has made the situation in Gaza more difficult by choking off the flow of funds from the Palestinian Authority to Gaza. I hope that it is possible to halt this strangulation but I also reiterate that Israel will act with all necessary strength to defend itself and its citizens,” the Prime Minister added.