(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

A 20 year-old Ecuadorian citizen was shot and murdered by a Palestinian sniper near the security fence this morning, while working in a potato field as a volunteer on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in the northwestern Negev.

The IDF is operating in the Gaza Strip region to prevent these types of terrorist attacks. For example, this morning the IDF operated near the security fence in the northern part of Gaza. The majority of residents in the northwestern Negev make their living from the surrounding farmland. There are approximately 30,000 residents who are constantly exposed to the terrorist threat emanating from the area near the security fence, which includes hostile rifle fire and the launching of rockets and mortar shells by terrorist organizations.

The IDF conducts periodic security assessments in coordination with residents of regional communities surrounding Gaza in order to determine necessary security procedures. These assessments will be examined in light of the incident this morning.