Paratroopers
ParatroopersIDF Spokesman

Residents of the Shaar Hanegev, Sdot Negev and Eshkol regions near Gaza were told to stay in their homes Monday morning because of a terrorist infiltration.

According to initial reports, about ten terrorists entered Israeli territory and split up into two teams. One headed toward Erez and the second toward Nir Am. An IAF drone eliminated the squad that went toward Erez and a ground force eliminated the squad that turned toward Nir Am after a pitched battle.

The IDF has yet to declare the event over and residents in the area are still being asked to stay inside their homes. Several roads in the Ashkelon area are closed to traffic as well: Road 232 between Gevim and Miflasim, Road 34 between Gevim and Yad Mordechai and Road 4 between Yad Mordechai and Gevaram.

The infiltration is the latest in a series of such attacks by Gaza terrorists, which began to unfold after the IDF launched Operation Protective Edge 14 days ago. On Saturday morning, two IDF soldiers were killed when a squad numbering 8 or 9 terrorists emerged from a tunnel near Ein Hashlosha and engaged an IDF motorized force. 

On Thursday, 13 terrorists emerged from a tunnel in the Eshkol region, but were spotted and escaped back into the tunnel. It is not clear if they were killed by a bomb that was dropped on the entrance into the tunnel immediately after they re-entered it.