Israel Hits Hamas Targets after Projectiles, Explosive Balloons

Arab World

February 5th, 9:05am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza Strip October 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Israeli aircraft struck Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday, the military said, after projectiles and explosive balloons were launched at Israel from the Palestinian enclave. The "fighter jets targeted Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip" including "a weapons manufacturing site", the army said in a statement. There were no immediate reports from Gaza of casualties. Prior to the Israeli attack, militants in Gaza launched three projectiles and a number of "explosive balloons" at southern Israel, the army said, with neither medics nor police reporting casualties or damage. Since US President Donald Trump's announcement last week of his plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rockets, mortar shells and explosive balloons have been launched almost daily from Gaza into southern Israel, provoking Israeli retaliation.  Palestinians strongly reject the US plan, seen as heavily favoring Israel. The Palestinians were offered limited self-rule in Gaza, parts of the West Bank and some sparsely populated areas of Israel in return for meeting a long list of conditions. Hamas rejected the Trump plan and vowed that “all options are open” in responding to the proposal. In the West Bank, Palestinians have held protests in recent days condemning the Trump initiative.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2116216/israel-hits-hamas-targets-after-projectiles-explosive-balloons