Israel Warns Gazans Will Be Shot if They Come Close to Border Fence

Israeli aircrafts dropped exploding boxes full of leaflets across the Gaza Strip today, littering the tiny enclave with threats to shoot any Gazans who come within 300 meters of the border fence. The exploding boxes themselves caused a casualty, injuring a 12 year old in eastern Gaza City. The boxes also damaged several homes across the area.

The Israeli military has shot multiple Gaza civilians since the end of its invasion of the strip, including several farmers whose fields were close to the border. The warning is raising concern that civilians will be in greater danger in upcoming days.

In the densely populated strip, many residents live less than 300 meters from the border fence. One of the residents wondered if “the Israelis expect these people to start migrating yet again and flee like during the war.” Blocking off 300 meters across the entire border would actually make a considerable portion of the strip into a no-man’s land, but for the enclaves 1.5 million inhabitants, it is just business as usual in their ever shrinking home.

The Gaza war saw thousands of civilian casualties and damaged roughly 15% of the strip’s buildings. Months later the damage has been scarcely improved, as Israel has continued to bar reconstruction supplies from entering. With no access to cement and steel, many are constructing mud huts for shelter.