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by IMEMC & Agencies

[Tuesday December 24, 2013] Israeli military sources said that an Israeli military engineer died of his serious injuries, after being shot near the border fence with Gaza.

Israeli sources said the engineer is employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, and that the shot that killed him came from Gaza.

Israeli daily Haaretz has reported the no Palestinian armed group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed the engineer, near the Nahal Oz settlement. The engineer is from Rahat, south of the country, a town mainly inhabited by Bedouins.

The Israeli army said it appears a sharpshooter carried out the attack and fled the scene, and that no clashes took place following the shooting.

The military engineer was moved to the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva (Be’er As-Sabe’), where he died of his serious wounds.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that the attack "is a very serious escaltion", and that Israel "would respond aggresively, Haaretz said.

Ya'alon held Hamas fully responsible for the escalation.

He further stated that Hamas must undertsand that the Israeli response would be "painful", adding that "Hamas should not test Israel's patience.

"No calm in Israel, means no calm in Gaza", Ya'alon added.