Israeli soldier injured in Gaza border blast

An Israeli soldier was wounded seriously in an explosion while on patrol near the Gaza security fence.

The soldier, who was on what the military called a “routine patrol,” is believed to have been injured by a roadside bomb in Tuesday morning's attack. He was treated at the scene and then evacuated by helicopter to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Terror organizations continue their relentless attempts to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers by using the area adjacent to the security fence for laying explosive devices and attempting to execute terror attacks,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

A week ago, an explosive device was detonated as Israeli soldiers patrolled the same area of the security fence near Kissufim in the central Gaza Strip, according to the IDF. That explosion damaged a military vehicle.