IDF soldiers shot and killed a Gaza “fisherman” on Wednesday who refused to back away from the border with Israel when ordered to do so by Israeli soldiers.
The so-called “fisherman” was part of a group of Arab men spotted by IDF troops as they walked toward the security fence along the northern Gaza border with southern Israel near Kibbutz Zikim.
Arab media claimed the so-called “fisherman” — identified by the Gaza health ministry as 20-year-old Nawaf Ahmad al-Attar — was shot as he was “working on the beach.”
However, the IDF confirmed that the soldiers opened fire when the Gazans walked towards the border despite being ordered to stay back. They also ignored warning shots that were fired by IDF troops to head them off.
The soldiers “operated in accordance with standard rules of engagement,” the IDF Spokesperson said.
The incident follows an attempt earlier in the day by a Gaza terrorist who threw several grenades at the security fence in northern Gaza.
The terrorist was arrested by IDF personnel who discovered during their search that he was carrying bolt cutters and a knife.
The grenades failed to explode upon impact.
Both incidents followed by less than 24 hours a ceasefire agreement negotiated by Egyptian mediators between Hamas and Israel, and that has led to Wednesday’s resignation of Israel’s Defense Minister, Avigdor Liberman.
The fragile truce comes in the wake of a barrage of more than 460 rockets, mortars and missiles fired by Hamas at Israeli civilians within a period of barely 24 hours, ending late Tuesday afternoon. The IDF targeted 160 terrorist sites across the Gaza Strip in response.
Both sides said they would abide by the ceasefire as long as each other refrained from violating the agreement.