Israeli forces killed several armed Palestinians planning a "terror attack" as they approached the northern border fence of the Gaza Strip, the military said on Thursday.
"IDF (Israel Defence Forces) thwarts terror attack in northern Gaza," a statement from the military said.
"Overnight, an IDF force identified a number of armed Palestinians near the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip," said the statement.
"An IAF (Israel Air Force) aircraft, accompanied by an IDF ground force using tank shells, fired towards the militants, identifying a hit."
Israel's military radio reported that the forces killed two men were carrying weapons and explosive devices.
A military spokesman said that the men were killed inside the Gaza Strip before they entered Israeli territory.
There was no immediate word from Israel or the Palestinians on how many people were killed in the incident.
The IDF said that about 100 "terror-related incidents" have occurred near the border fence surrounding Gaza since the beginning of 2010, "an average of an incident every three days."
"The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organisation solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it," the statement said.
{{/usCountry}}"The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organisation solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it," the statement said.
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