Israel/Palestinian Terr.: IDF fires on Hamas positions in Gaza March 28 /update 3

Event

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel fired on two Hamas observation posts in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, March 28, after two Palestinians ignited a fire on the Gazan side of the Israeli-Gazan barrier at the former Karni crossing. The event comes after Israeli security forces arrested three Palestinians on Tuesday, March 27, who had crossed the barrier, carrying grenades and knives into Israel. Additional clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians are possible along the border in the coming days and weeks, particularly during the upcoming six-week tent city protests in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli border beginning on "Land Day," observed March 30.

Context

Security measures have been strengthened across Israel ahead of the Passover holiday - celebrated from Friday, March 30, to Saturday, April 7 - including operations to arrest undocumented Palestinian workers in the country, as well as the issuance of travel warnings to a number of countries. Typically, Israeli security forces also maintain a heightened security presence in East Jerusalem during Passover and forbid Palestinians to enter Israel for work, including those with valid permits.

In general, rocket fire and strikes between Israel and the Gaza Strip have intensified since early December 2017. Dozens of rockets and mortars have been fired from the Gaza Strip, followed by retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. Although the rockets are often fired by independent groups, the Israeli government holds Hamas responsible and regularly hits Hamas positions in retaliation.

"Land Day" is annually observed among Palestinians on March 30. It commemorates the events of that day in 1976 when six Arab-Israeli citizens were killed and hundreds more wounded or arrested amid a general strike and widespread protests over land confiscated by Israeli authorities.

Advice

Individuals present in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are advised to avoid all protests or other public gatherings due to the risk of violence and to monitor developments to the situation. Due to the underlying terrorist threat, travelers in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to remain vigilant when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, prominent hotels and restaurants, etc.). As a reminder, several Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Israeli-Lebanese, Israeli-Syrian, and Israeli-Egyptian borders.