Israel targets Hamas positions after bomb explodes near Gaza fence

JERUSALEM, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said an explosive device was denotated near a military vehicle at the Gaza Strip fence on Wednesday morning before the army attacked Hamas positions in Gaza.

The incident took place near the Karni Crossing, an unused cargo terminal, in the northern Gaza Strip.

A statement released by the Israel Defense Forces' Spokesperson Unit said the device was denoted against a military engineering vehicle which was on the Gazan side of the security fence.

"In response, the IDF struck a number of military targets belonging to Hamas," the statement read.

No group immediately assumed responsibility for the incident but the military said it holds Hamas "responsible for all occurrences in the Gaza Strip." It added that Israel will not allow to "turn the area of the fence into a combat zone."

According to the statement, the explosive was implanted near the fence during rallies near the fence.

Palestinians in Gaza have been staging weekly protests over the past weeks to mark the 70th anniversary of the statehood of Israel, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or "the catastrophe."

Dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli military gunfire and thousands were injured during the weekend marches towards the fence. Enditem