The Israeli air force attacked two sites in Gaza early Sunday morning, the army said, after Gazans clashed with forces on the border and launched incendiary balloons at southern Israel.
"IDF fighter jets struck a Hamas military compound used for manufacturing weapons and training as well as an entrance to a terror tunnel adjacent to Jabalia," a statement from the Israeli army said.
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An IDF airstrike in Gaza following the launching of several arson balloons by terrorists in the enclave
(Photo: AFP)
"The strikes were in response to Hamas launching incendiary balloons into Israeli territory and the violent riots that took place yesterday," it added.
According to the army, both incidents were "examples of how Hamas continues to employ terror tactics and target civilians."
There were no reports from Gaza of casualties caused by the Israeli strikes.
The raids came several hours after hundreds of Hamas-backed activists on Saturday launched what they said was the first in a series of nighttime protests along the Israeli border, throwing explosives toward Israeli forces who responded with live fire.
Organizers said the gatherings, which are to continue throughout the week, were meant to step up pressure on Israel to ease a crippling economic blockade on the Gaza Strip.
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A Palestinian protester burns tires following a demonstration along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel east of Gaza City on Saturday
(Photo: AFP)
“The occupation will not enjoy calm unless the siege on our beloved land is lifted,” said Abu Omar, a spokesman for the protesters.
Israel and Egypt have maintained the blockade since Hamas, a group sworn to Israel’s destruction, seized control of Gaza in 2007, a year after it won Palestinian elections.
The blockade, which restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, has ravaged the territory’s economy. Israel has tightened the closure since an 11-day war in May, demanding the return of the remains of two dead soldiers and freedom for two Israeli civilians believed to be in Hamas captivity.
Amateur footage and photos from inside Gaza showed hundreds of Palestinians protesters engaged in Saturday’s gathering. Some appeared to be throwing explosives and chanting in celebrations as blasts sounded.
The Israeli military said troops responded to the explosives by firing live rounds toward the protesters. It said there were no injuries on the Israeli side.
Palestinian protestors setting off explosives on the Gaza border fence
Gaza health officials said three protesters were wounded by Israeli fire.
Hamas-linked operatives also launched a number of incendiary balloons from Gaza Saturday afternoon, sparking two fires in southern Israel, according to the Israeli fire service.
An Egyptian-mediated truce ended the May conflict in which Gaza militants fired rockets towards Israeli cities and Israel carried out airstrikes across the coastal enclave. At least 250 Palestinians and 13 people in Israel were killed in 11 days of fighting.
But violence has recently increased despite an Israeli announcement this month of a resumption of Qatari aid to Gaza, a decision that had been seen as bolstering the truce.