Israeli soldiers wounded in gunfight with militants who crossed from Jordan

Israel’s military said that two soldiers were injured in a gunfight with militants from Jordan who crossed into Israel Friday.

At least two militants crossed into Israeli territory south of the Dead Sea Friday morning, before being shot dead by Israeli troops. The two soldiers were injured during the exchanges of fire, the military said. It added that troops were searching the area for another militant who may have infiltrated.

The identities of those who crossed the border remained unclear.

Hamas praised the incursion but did not claim responsibility, calling it an “important development” in the war in Gaza and a “natural response” to the “brutal crimes of the occupation against our Palestinian people.”

The statement was one of the first public comments by Hamas since Israel killed its leader, Yahya Sinwar, Thursday in Gaza.

Such infiltrations into Israeli territory are relatively rare, especially as Israel has ramped up border security since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.