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Rescue workers evacuating an IDF soldier wounded in an ambush at the Gaza border on Thursday. (Alberto Denkberg)
Last update - 19:35 06/03/2008
Soldier killed, three others hurt in attack on IDF jeep near Gaza border
By Amos Harel, Yuval Azoulay, and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: IDF, Sderot, Gaza, Hamas

An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and another seriously wounded when Palestinian militants blew up an IDF jeep patrolling the Gaza Strip border early Thursday.

The slain soldier was laid to rest Thursday afternoon, Israel Radio reported.

The jeep blew up when it rolled over an explosively formed penetrator next to Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, on the Israeli side of the border. The explosives were apparently activated from Palestinian territory.
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The slain soldier was sitting in the passenger seat of the jeep at the time of the attack, while the driver was seriously hurt.

Two other soldiers, who were sitting in the backseat of the jeep, sustained minor wounds.

Several other army vehicles, along with an army helicopter, arrived to rescue the wounded, but also came under fire, witnesses said.

The casualties were taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for treatment. Their families have been notified of the attack.

A witness said the jeep appeared to have been destroyed by the explosion at the Kissufim border crossing in central Gaza, and two tanks and an ambulance rushed to the scene.

"I believe the jeep was destroyed, because it was consumed by flames," the witness, a local Palestinian, told Reuters.

The IDF has launched an investigation into the border incident in an effort to determine how the militants were able to place an explosive device in such close proximity to the military patrol route.

The IDF regularly enters Palestinian territory in order to prevent militant cells from placing bombs along the fence or infiltrating Israel. Since the withdrawal from Gaza in September 2005 the IDF has operated a large-scale and advanced surveillance system within 1.5 kilometers of the Gaza side of the border, in order to identify militants.

Senior IDF officers held an emergency meeting to plan their response to the cross-border strike, officials said following the attack.

A spokesman for Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack and the ruling Hamas group said it also participated.

"A group of fighters planted a bomb under the cover of darkness and waited for the jeep to arrive ... [then] two fighters detonated the explosives," said Abu Ahmed, an Islamic Jihad spokesman.

He said the attack was revenge for an IAF strike a day earlier that killed one of the group's commanders in southern Gaza.

"We are sending our message to all the Zionist criminals," he said. "Your threats to target the leaders of resistance ... won't scare us. We are going to continue our resistance and holy war, and we will continue to rain rockets on your colonies until we make them ghost towns."

Also on Thursday, the Israel Air Force killed one militant in an on attack on a rocket-launching site in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials said.

Israel has pledged to keep up the pressure on militants to halt the continuous rocket fire on the Negev.


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      1.   Condolences 12:37  |  KUTW 06/03/08
      2.   HEY 12:44  |  Jonas 06/03/08
      3.   Self defence 12:50  |  Stephen Murray 06/03/08
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      7.   HAMAS - THEY JUST WILL NOT STOP... 13:18  |  Mary 06/03/08
      8.   treat people the way you want them to treat you 13:22  |  Omar 06/03/08
      9.   Well done 13:27  |  Palestinian 06/03/08
      10.   The Genie is Out 13:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/03/08
      11.   Stupid Palestinians 13:53  |  Dave 06/03/08
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      15.   For Dave # 10 14:12  |  Clickfool 06/03/08
      16.   Take a strong action- reoccupation. 14:15  |  Vital 06/03/08
      17.   Congratulations Palestine, Speak the language they understand. 14:21  |  Black Israel 06/03/08
      18.   Mark of Lewiston, why is it sad? 14:30  |  Ibrahim 06/03/08
      19.   "Observor" of nothing 14:35  |  dan 06/03/08
      20.   How heartless 14:37  |  Angel 06/03/08
      21.   #8 14:39  |  Ken 06/03/08
      22.   # 3 Thats because Hamas never starved 14:48  |  Kris 06/03/08
      23.   `Israeli sources: 20 babies were also killed` 14:48  |  RA 06/03/08
      24.   To Black Israel 14:54  |  Green Palestine 06/03/08
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      26.   #14 14:57  |  Dave 06/03/08
      27.   #17, a broken record of lies 15:01  |  DR 06/03/08
      28.   Justified retaliation 15:02  |  ChanahS 06/03/08
      29.   # 7 The problem with that is that Israeli do seldom consider them 15:02  |  Kris 06/03/08
      30.   For Mary # 7 15:02  |  Fortuna Benmayor 06/03/08
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      32.   #24 good luck!!! 15:02  |  DR 06/03/08
      33.   for clickfool 15:12  |  danalogue 06/03/08
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      38.   This will NEVER happen, but... 17:03  |  Steve 06/03/08
      39.   #15 Clickfraud, you are a sick man!! 17:12  |  Boris 06/03/08
      40.   Brilliant strategy on the part of Hamas and Islamic Jihad 17:21  |  Murray of Montreal 06/03/08
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      43.   TO NO 1. CONDOLENCES. 17:32  |  DANNY. 06/03/08
      44.   IDF soldier killed is an Israeli-Arab 17:34  |  Rami 06/03/08
      45.   to # 33 17:40  |  palestine 06/03/08
      46.   #21 Ken / Omar 17:42  |  Jon 06/03/08
      47.   TO NO 5. 17:45  |  DANNY. 06/03/08
      48.   Clickfool Camillia & Dave -- All Wrong 17:50  |  Fish 06/03/08
      49.   In the holey name of Jeezus 17:51  |  Charley Bones 06/03/08
      50.   to # 35 17:57  |  ahmadinajad 06/03/08
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      52.   Israel`s right to exist? Palestinian`s right to exist? 18:07  |  Lou Medel 06/03/08
      53.   We should fight with the will to defeat the enemy. 18:14  |  Jean Van Daem 06/03/08
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      55.   For Danalogue, in case you think I`m rude # 33 18:24  |  Clickfool 06/03/08
      56.   Another victim of Oslo & Itnatkut! 18:31  |  Jo 06/03/08
      57.   SERIOUSLY FOLKS 18:33  |  Harold 06/03/08
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      60.   Green Palestine,Thank you 18:47  |  Connie 06/03/08
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      62.   Jonas 18:50  |  Connie 06/03/08
      63.   haaretz 18:51  |  Connie 06/03/08
      64.   Very sad 18:55  |  hala 06/03/08
      65.   # 20, ANGEL 19:00  |  indrajaya 06/03/08
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