Fires in the Negev Desert in Israel as a result of arson terrorism from Palestinians in Gaza. July 2018. Photo: Tom Oren-Denenberg.

JNS.org – Israeli troops patrolling the Gaza border on Thursday discovered and neutralized a roadside bomb that had been placed near the security fence.

The incident comes amid stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian-brokered negotiations, aimed at preventing weeks of border hostilities from escalating into war, have been repeatedly undermined by the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, Hamas’s rival.

In a statement released on Thursday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that “placing the bomb under the cover of violent riots is further proof that the Hamas terrorist organization is working to maintain the conflict along the border and harm IDF soldiers while using the civilians of Gaza as human shields.”

The military added that it was “ready and prepared to act against terrorism that targets our forces and infrastructure, and will work to counter it as long as it takes.”

The past week has seen several violent incidents along the border fence.

Last week, the Israel Defense Forces targeted a terrorist cell that launched incendiary balloons from Gaza. Palestinian protesters also clashed with IDF troops last weekend, and a 16-year-old Palestinian who threw stones at soldiers was shot and killed.

Additionally, last week the IDF prevented four terrorists from infiltrating the border fence.