Israeli tank shells Hamas post in Gaza

Israeli tank shells Hamas post in Gaza
An Israeli tank opened fire on a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, reportedly in response to shots fired at Israeli soldiers along the border.
2 min read
27 April, 2017
Gaza has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for over a decade [AFP]
An Israeli tank opened fire on a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, reportedly in response to shots fired at Israeli soldiers along the border.

"In response to the shots fired earlier today at IDF forces carrying out routine activities near the border fence with the southern Gaza Strip, an IDF tank targeted a post belonging to the terror organisation Hamas," Israel's army said. 

There were no immediate reports of injuries on either side following the incident, which took place in southern Gaza.

Israeli military forces routinely open fire at Palestinians in Gaza to maintain a buffer zone along the border with Israel.

The area is mostly agricultural land which is now off-limits to Palestinian farmers due to Israeli security measures.

In March, a Palestinian teenager was killed and two others injured after Israeli tanks opened fire on Gaza.

Cross-border tensions between Israel and Gaza has been running high following a series of Israeli airstrikes in response to rocket fire from the coastal enclave.

Gaza has been under a jointly enforced Israeli-Egyptian blockade for over ten years, preventing Palestinians from exiting and entering the coastal territory.

The blockade has drawn huge international criticism, with many having described Gaza as effectively the "world's largest open air prison".