According to Israel’s military, Israel attacked Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons fired from the Palestinian territory.
There were no early indications of fatalities or damage from the attack, which Israel said was aimed at a missile-launching facility and a Hamas compound. Hamas is the political organization that governs Gaza.
Hamas did not respond right away.
New Press published a social media picture that showed streaks of light flowing from Gaza as bullets were fired at Israeli aircraft in response to the attack.
According to the New Press, Israel attacked three locations, including Beit Hanoun and Jabalya.
Palestinians in Gaza have occasionally flown balloons loaded with incendiary material over the border since a truce on May 21 ended 11 days of combat between Israel and Hamas, sparking fires that have burnt farms in Israel.
The incendiary balloons were previously used in reaction to Israel’s tightening of the blockade on the coastal enclave when additional restrictions were imposed during Israel’s attack of Gaza in May; however, balloon launches have largely ebbed after Israel relaxed some of Gaza’s restrictions.
However, balloons were fired from Gaza again on Friday, sparking at least four bush fires along the Israel-Gaza border.
But on Friday, balloons were again launched from Gaza, causing at least four brush fires in areas near the Israel-Gaza frontier.
The fires along the Gaza border erupted on Friday, as Israel exchanged fire with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah across its northern border, on the third day of cross-border salvoes amid escalating regional tensions with Iran.
