Israel Bombs Hamas Sites Over Fire Balloons

Arab World

August 24th, 6:34am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Buildings in the Gaza Strip are seen in the background as houses in the Israeli city of Sderot are seen in the foreground, southern Israel September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israeli warplanes bombed Hamas sites in Gaza in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave that caused brush fires in southern Israel, its military said early on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the airstrikes that targeted what the military said was a weapons production facility and a rocket launch site belonging to Hamas. Since an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire halted 11 days of Israel-Hamas fighting in May, Gaza militants have sporadically sent balloons carrying incendiary material into Israel, drawing Israeli strikes on Hamas facilities. Confronting Gaza protesters burning tires and throwing explosives along the border on Saturday, Israeli troops shot and wounded 41 Palestinians, critically injuring two, medics said. Palestinian gunfire seriously wounded an Israeli soldier, the military said. Days before Saturday's violence, Gaza militants launched a rocket towards Israel that was shot down by its Iron Dome anti-missile system, in the first such attack since the May 21 ceasefire.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3149101/israel-bombs-hamas-sites-over-fire-balloons