A small Israeli incursion force entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and demolished a building used as cover by terrorists before withdrawing into southern Israel. The Israelis encountered sporadic resistance and returned fire on their attackers.
Army officials said the operation was a response to several small-scale attacks by Hamas forces on Israel over the past week. They said the demolished building was used as cover in a number of those attacks.
The most recent attack occurred just hours before the incursion on Tuesday morning, when Hamas gunmen opened fire on an Israeli patrol.
On Sunday, Palestinian terrorists fired a number of mortar shells and anti-tank missiles at Israeli troops stationed near a kibbutz in southern Israel.
Last Thursday, a rocket fired from Gaza landed just outside a small town in southern Israel, causing no damage or injuries.