The Israeli army said it carried out overnight attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian enclave.
The army said on Wednesday that the attacks “had revenge” for firing multiple fireballs from the Hamas enclave in recent days.
Fighter jets, attacking helicopters and tanks hit a number of Hamas targets, including “underground infrastructure and observation posts,” a military statement said.
No casualties were reported and there was no immediate response from Hamas.
Fire services in southern Israel said the incident balloons caused 60 fires on Tuesday alone, but no one was injured.
‘Siege’
Explosives tied to balloons and kites first appeared as a weapon in Gaza during intense protests in 2018, when the protesters drove across the border every day, causing thousands of fires on Israeli farms and in communities.
Israel closes its crossing of Kerem Shalom with the Gaza Strip in response to the recent balloon barrier.
Hamas dismissed the closure as an “aggressive” movement that showed Israel’s “insistence on siege of Gaza”, warning that it could worsen the humanitarian situation on the ground.
As the Gaza Strip crossing closed, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Tuesday for the first time since April.
Traffic in both directions would be allowed for three days, forcing Gazans to leave the enclave for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The Rafah crossing provides Gaza’s only access to the outside world that is not controlled by Israel.
Palestinian territory has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.
Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since the war. Despite a ceasefire last year backed by the UN, Egypt and Qatar, both sides clashed sporadically.
Palestinian analysts say cross-border fire is often used as a negotiating tool to secure Israel’s green light for Qatari’s entry of financial aid into its territory.
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