(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
 
In the past week, IDF forces operated in the Gaza Strip in order to distance terrorist organizations - particularly Hamas - from the security fence, and to operate against Kassam rocket and mortar shell fire into Israel. Twenty gunmen were hit, ten of whom were killed.

On Thursday (13 December), an Israeli woman was lightly-moderately wounded when a Kassam rocket fell near a synagogue and directly hit a house in Sderot.

This weeks' activity included IDF forces from the Infantry Corps, the Armored Corps and the Combat Engineering Unit, with the assistance of the Air Force. In a number of different incidents IDF forces succeeded in thwarting attempts by terrorists to carry out attacks in the Israeli home front and against IDF soldiers. In one incident, an IDF tank was hit by an anti-tank rocket that caused light injuries to four soldiers. The forces responded with fire towards the squad of gunmen that fired the anti-tank rocket and identified hitting three of them. In other clashes, Palestinians opened fire at IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip, as well as at IDF forces patrolling along the security fence between Israel and Gaza.

On Wednesday (12 December), IDF forces discovered and destroyed three Kassam rocket launchers.

In the past week, Palestinians fired over 20 mortar shells and approximately 30 Kassam rockets at the communities of the western Negev and at IDF forces, most of which fell inside Israel.