Israel’s military said it launched airstrikes at the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, in response to incendiary balloons fired by militants in the Palestinian territory.
The exchange marked the first major flare-up between Israel and Gaza since a May 21 ceasefire ended 11 days of devastating hostilities between the two.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that its warplanes had attacked Hamas armed compounds early on Wednesday local time.
The country’s military said that it was “ready for all scenarios, including renewed fighting in the face of continued terrorist acts emanating from Gaza.”
According to The Jerusalem Post:
A number of fires broke out in southern Israel on Tuesday, with at least 20 fires sparked by incendiary balloons launched from Gaza. Earlier in the day, Palestinian media published photos of terrorists preparing such balloons to launch towards Israel.
At least one explosive balloon was reported over southern Israel, with residents reporting that they saw and heard the balloon explode in the air, according to Israeli media.
Three Gazans were arrested by the IDF after they crossed the Gaza border fence into Israel, according to Palestinian reports.
As part of security preparations in light of the flag march, the paths of flights to and from Ben-Gurion Airport were diverted to leave and arrive from the North on Tuesday.
Iron Dome anti-missile defense units were also reinforced ahead of the march, amid threats by Hamas in recent days and weeks.
This is an excerpt from the New York Post.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.