Israeli war plans bombed the Gaza Strip for the eighth consecutive night after they claimed that Palestinians had fired a rocket into southern Israel.
The latest attacks came when Israel warned Hamas – the group that rules the Strip – of risking “war” by not stopping launching balloons across the border.
Hamas security sources say Israeli war plans and drones hit several facilities belonging to the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement.
The Israeli army airstrikes and artillery attacks caused severe damage to security posts and injured several people, sources said. No deaths were reported.
My only contact with family in Gaza is a small WhatsApp group where we share news, food photos and conversations. The past few hours all I have read there is news about constant Israeli attacks. “It felt like an earthquake,” my sister commented when she heard one attack.
– Malaka (@MalakaShwaikh) August 18, 2020
In a statement released shortly before midnight (21.00 GMT), the Israeli army said “fighter jets and [other] aircraft hit additional military targets of Hamas in the Gaza Strip “.
“Earlier last night, a rocket was fired and during the day, explosive and incendiary balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” it said. “During the strike, a military compound belonging to one of the Hamas terrorist organization’s special arrays was hit.”
Egyptian security officials fired between the two sides in an attempt to end the overhaul, which saw more than a week of rocket and fire balloon attacks from Gaza and nightly Israeli representations.
‘Not a game’
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued a warning to Hamas during a visit to firefighters in the area who said they were called to 40 blasts caused by Palestinian incendiary balloons on Tuesday.
“Terrorism with burning kites and balloons is terrorism just like any other,” Rivlin told her, according to a statement from his office.
“Hamas should know that this is not a game. The time will come when they will have to decide … If they want war, they will get war,” said Rivlin, whose post is largely ceremonial.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.
A Hamas source told AFP news agency talks were held with an Egyptian delegation in Gaza on Monday before leaving the territory for meetings with the Israelis and the Occupied Palestinian Authority on the West Bank.
The Egyptian delegation would expect to return to Gaza after these talks were concluded, the source added.
Power outages can affect health center
Israel bans the import of fuel to Gaza on August 12 as part of sanctions for launching incendiary balloons from the Strip, bans fishing off the coast of Gaza, and closes the crossing of goods Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) – cuts supply of fuel to the only power plant of territory.
Electricity was still in short supply before closing, with consumers having access to electricity for only eight hours a day. That will now be just four hours a day using power supplied by the Israeli net.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Wednesday that stopping Gaza’s sole power plant would create problems in the health sector.
The ICRC said on Facebook that reducing the daily electricity supply from eight hours to three or four hours increased the burden on hospitals already operating safely in Gaza.
Underlining that the power outage makes it difficult for people to access water, it also said environmental problems could arise.
Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been hit by an Israeli blockade that has displaced its roughly two million people from important goods, including food, fuel, and medicines.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
.
