Israel carried out airstrikes late Saturday in the Gaza Strip, following continued launches into Israel of balloon-borne incendiary devices from the Palestinian enclave and the renewal of nighttime clashes along the border fence. Shortly after the raids, two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel and were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
The rockets triggered sirens in the southern city of Sderot around 1 a.m., sending thousands rushing for shelter. The projectiles were shot down by the Iron Dome, the military confirmed. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier that warplanes targeted “a military installation and underground infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist group,” adding that it holds the terror organization responsible for any violence from the Strip.
The strikes on several Hamas sites came in retaliation for the airborne attacks, as well as riots along the border, the army said.
The raids came as the Hamas-linked news site said some 800 Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops on the border as part of “night confusion units,” which have previously held violent demonstrations along the security fence but haven’t been active in recent months.
Some of the Palestinians threw explosive devices at Israeli soldiers, Hebrew media said.
The Hamas-run health ministry said two people were injured by live bullets, apparently during the border clashes, and were taken to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City for treatment.
The renewal of the late night border clashes came amid growing tensions between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist terror group that controls Gaza.
Saturday marked the fifth consecutive evening Israel launched strikes in Gaza, after at least 19 fires were sparked in the south during the day by airborne incendiary objects flown from the Strip.
Earlier, Hamas warned of a “dangerous escalation” after two children were reportedly lightly injured in the Israeli strikes.
Makeshift firebombs attached to bunches of balloons or kites ignited over 100 fires in Israel in the past week, setting alight agricultural fields and brush. Officials said most were small fires, but some caused damage.
At least 19 fires were started Saturday by incendiary airborne devices launched from the Gaza Strip, the Fire and Rescue Service said.
Most of the blazes were in the Eshkol, Sha’ar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon regional councils.
There were no reports of injuries.
The launches came amid a sharp rise in arson attacks from Gaza Strip over the past week.
Late Friday, the Israeli military struck Hamas targets in the Strip for the fourth night in a row in response to the flying of balloon-borne incendiary and explosive objects from Gaza.
The overnight attack on sites used by Hamas, the Islamist terror group that rules Gaza, was the fifth such operation since the start of the week.
Israel launched airstrikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip for the fourth night in a row late Friday in response to a spate of attacks using balloon-borne arson and explosive devices sent from the Strip into Israel in recent days.
The overnight attack on sites used by Hamas, the Islamist terror group that rules the enclave, was the fifth such operation since the start of the week.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that combat helicopters and tanks hit a number of terror targets belonging to Hamas, including sites used by its naval forces, underground infrastructure and observation posts.
“The attack was carried out in response to balloons with explosives and incendiary balloons [launched] from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory over the past week,” the IDF said.
The IDF added that it holds Hamas responsible for all acts in and emanating from the Strip.
There have been no reports of casualties in the latest bout of violence in the south.
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