Rocket sirens blared multiples times in the communities surrounding The Gaza Strip Tuesday night, after Palestinians reported a car carrying Hamas operatives had exploded in the center of the enclave.
Alarms blared in the town of Sderot as well as the Sha’ar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon regional councils.
The army said it identified at least nine rocket launches from Gaza. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted one of the rockets. There were no immediate reports of an impact in Israeli territory.
Palestinians said the vehicle, carrying one of the terror group’s field commanders, was hit in an Israeli strike in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. There were apparently no casualties in the blast.
The IDF refused to comment on the blast, saying it “does not comment on foreign reports.”
Earlier Tuesday Palestinians said Israeli drones destroyed two cars and an observation post in Gaza that were being used by a group of Palestinians to launch incendiary balloons into southern Israel. The military confirmed that its aircraft conducted three strikes in response to repeated arson attacks from the Palestinian coastal enclave.
No Palestinian injuries were reported.
The IDF conducted similar airstrikes on Sunday, firing at groups of Gazans launching incendiary kites and balloons into southern Israel. In one case, three people were injured as an IDF drone fired a missile at a cart being used by the group, according to local Palestinian media.
A number of small fires were reported in southern Israel throughout the day on Tuesday, apparently sparked by incendiary kites and balloons from the Strip. As of 9 p.m., all the fires had been extinguished, according to officials from the Sha’ar Hanegev and Eshkol regional councils.
On Monday, a total of 11 fires broke out in southern Israel that were caused by these airborne arson devices, according to local government officials. The 11 fires were put out quickly before they could spread, spokespeople for the regions said.
Israeli drones destroyed two cars and an observation post that were being used by a group of Palestinians to launch incendiary balloons into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to Palestinian reports.
The Israeli military confirmed that its aircraft conducted three strikes in response to repeated arson attacks from the Palestinian coastal enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces carried out the first round of strikes around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, hitting one vehicle and the observation post.
“An IDF aircraft attacked a car in the northern Gaza Strip that was being used by a group of incendiary balloon launchers, as well as an observation post from which they were launching balloons,” the army said in a statement.
According to the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news outlet, the airstrikes were conducted by an Israeli drone east of Gaza City near the security fence.
At around 8 p.m., the air force conducted an additional airstrike, also east of Gaza City.
A number of small fires were reported in southern Israel throughout the day on Tuesday, apparently sparked by incendiary kites and balloons from the Gaza Strip.
As of 9 p.m., all the fires had been extinguished, according to officials from the Sha’ar Hanegev and Eshkol regions.
On Monday, a total of 11 fires broke out in southern Israel that were caused by these airborne arson devices, according to local government officials.
Nine of the blazes took place in the Eshkol region, which has been the area hardest hit by these fire kites and balloons. The other two fires occurred in the nearby Sha’ar Hanegev region.
The 11 fires were put out quickly before they could spread, spokespeople for the regions said.
A number of balloons with small explosive devices attached to them were also found throughout the day on Tuesday.
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