Israel says it has launched air strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for incendiary balloons fired from the territory.
Explosions were heard in Gaza City in the early hours of Wednesday.
Several balloons were sent from Gaza into Israel earlier on Tuesday causing multiple fires, according to the Israeli fire service.
It is the first major flare-up since 11 days of fighting between the two sides ended in a ceasefire on 21 May.
It followed a march by Jewish nationalists in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, which had drawn threats from Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.
--
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
The Israeli air force launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip early Wednesday after militants in the Palestinian territory sent incendiary balloons into southern Israel, security sources and witnesses said.
ReplyDeleteThe airstrikes and balloons marked the first major flare-up between Israel and Gaza since a ceasefire on May 21 ended 11 days of heavy fighting that killed 260 Palestinians, according to Gaza authorities, and 13 people in Israel, the police and army there said.
According to Palestinian sources, Israel's air force targeted at least one site east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younes.