Israel conducts airstrikes on Gaza for second time after ceasefire following balloon fires
Israel announced it had conducted more airstrikes on sites in Gaza after incendiary balloons allegedly started fires in southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Less than 48 hours after a previous set of airstrikes on the area, also reportedly in retaliation for incendiary balloons, the IDF again said it targeted a number of Hamas’ military complexes and launch sites on Thursday night. The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in late May.
Following the early Wednesday strikes, Hamas did not fire any rockets. It remains to be seen if these continued strikes will draw more of a response and inflame an incredibly delicate situation. No deaths or injuries have been reported after either set of airstrikes or from the balloon fires. However, the IDF said it was preparing for a “variety of scenarios including a resumption of hostilities.”
According to CNN, incendiary are rudimentary explosives, that are carried by common balloons into Israel.
Footage obtained by The Associated Press showed what looks like heavy machine-gun fire from Gaza, possibly in an attempt by Hamas to shoot down IDF planes. Other footage showed unidentified projectiles being fired, but it was unclear where they landed.
The airstrikes come days after new Prime Minister Naftali Bennet was installed.
In a separate incident this week, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was killed after being shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank during a protest against a settlement outpost, the fourth demonstrator to be killed since the outpost was established last month. The teen allegedly threw “a suspicious object” which “exploded” next to the soldier.
With News Wire Services
