Aug. 16 (UPI) — At least one rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel on Monday — the first since more than a week of fighting between Jerusalem and Hamas in May — after several Palestinian police officers were killed at a refugee camp in the northern part of the country.
Israeli police were conducting an undercover operation at a camp in Jenin on Monday in search of a suspected Hamas operative.
Israel Border Police said its Special Patrol Unit was looking for the suspected operative, Mohammed Abu Zaina, when they were fired upon.
Israeli officers opened fire and killed four Palestinian police officers.
“During the operation, heavy fire was aimed at the force from short-range and by a large number of terrorists,” Israel Border Police said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The Border Police’s undercover forces returned fire at the terrorists and neutralized them.”
Jenin Gov. Akran al-Rajoub, however, disputed the Israeli retelling of events.
“There are videos and documentation proving that the shooting took place from a great distance,” al-Rajoub told Haaretz. “They were killed without any justification.
“The whole city is mourning and the continuation of this policy will only increase the frustration and anger.”
Israeli officials later said that a rocket was fired from Gaza into Israel, believed to be retaliation for the Palestinian deaths. No injuries were reported.
Israeli military officials said a second rocket was fired but didn’t make it into Israel.
The rocket attack came after the Islamic Jihad Movement vowed to hold Israel responsible for the officers’ deaths in Jenin.
Eleven days of fighting between Israel and Hamas in May killed more than 200 people, mostly Palestinians.