Israeli killed in shooting attack at Gaza fence

27 December 2013

An Israeli civilian – Salah Abu Latif, 22 of Rahat – was shot and killed by sniper fire near the Israeli-Gaza border fence. PM Netanyahu" "This is a very severe incident and we will not let it go unanswered".

An Israeli civilian - Salah Abu Latif, 22, of the Bedouin town of Rahat - was shot and killed by sniper fire on Tuesday (24 December 2013) in southern Israel in a shooting attack near the Israel-Gaza border fence.

Salah Abu Latif was operating a tractor for a drilling company hired by the Defense Ministry to repair a section of the Israel-Gaza border fence damaged in last week’s storm. He was shot in the center of his chest by a Palestinian sniper. Mortally wounded, he was flown by helicopter to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba but died of his wounds en route.

Prime Minister Netanyahu: "This is a very severe incident and we will not let it go unanswered. Our policy until now has been to act beforehand and to respond in force and this is how we will act regarding this incident as well."

President Peres: "If Gaza wants quiet then they should act accordingly and if not then it will bear the results. Gaza is not under any occupation. If they think the world will continue to support them while they create more victims then they are wrong. We will guarantee our security."

There have been several attempts to place explosives on the border fence in the past several days. On Monday (December 23) a rocket fired from Gaza landed near a children’s bus stop in the Ashkelon area.

This was the first Israeli civilian killed in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip since Operation Pillar of Defense last year.

The IDF said it would not change plans to ease restrictions on Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Gaza for the Christmas holiday.

ENDS

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