The military said Wednesday morning that two Palestinians, one armed with a grenade, were detained by Israeli Defense Force soldiers after overnight incursions into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The army said the suspects were taken for further questioning.
According to the IDF, the two attempted to enter Israel through the southern part of the border fence from the Gaza Strip.
While Israel has a high-tech series of fences and walls protecting its border with Gaza above and below the ground, the steel fence around the strip remains several gaps.
In times of low visibility, these gaps have been used by Palestinians to illegally enter Israeli territory in Gaza, often with the hope of fleeing the beleaguered enclave.
In December, another pair of Palestinians – armed with three grenades and two knives – were arrested after crossing into Israel through the northern part of the fence, the IDF said at the time.
While attacks on Israeli civilians by infiltrators from Gaza are rare, last May, a Palestinian man armed with multiple knives entered Israel. attacked and lightly injured a security guard About five kilometers from the border fence.
Although Palestinians regularly attempt to enter Israel from Gaza, it is highly unusual for them to make it across Israeli territory without being observed and detained by Israeli soldiers.