Initial information reveals that a terrorist cell operating out of the Gaza Strip set off an explosive device on the Philadelphi strip near the southern border with Israel and fired an RPG rocket at a team of Defense Ministry employees who were working on the construction of the border fence. As a result of the attack, two workers were wounded. One later died of his wounds.
In the exchange of fire, Israeli forces killed two of the terrorists who penetrated the border.
Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Today there was a terrorist attack on our border with Egypt, during which an Israeli civilian, a resident of Haifa,
Said Fashapshe, a father of four, was killed. We send condolences to his family.
During the incident, two terrorists were killed. The operation was most likely directed against Israeli citizens and was initiated against workers building our security fence on the Egyptian border. This will not stop us.
This fence is designed to prevent both terrorism and the entry of infiltrators. From our perspective, its construction is a supreme national interest. I believe that if we hadn't decided two years ago to build the fence, we would be facing a flood of infiltrators and - no less than this - a flood of terrorism."