JERUSALEM, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military raised on Wednesday the level of alert along the Gaza Strip border after Hamas vowed to revenge Israel's killing of its two operatives a day before.
"It was decided in the Southern Command to reinforce the Gaza Division and close several access routes in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip," a military spokesperson said in a statement.
A day earlier, two Hamas fighters were killed in Gaza in an Israeli artillery attack, which Israeli forces said was carried out under the misconception that Hamas had shot toward them.
The Israeli military "will not tolerate any aggression against Israeli civilians or IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers, and is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios," the statement read.
The Egyptian-brokered talks between Israel and Gaza over a cease-fire began last week but have yet to reach any agreements.
The recent round of violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave has cost the lives of at least 140 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier.
