Israeli airstrikes hit several targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the IDF said, after Palestinian protesters flocked for the 12th straight day to the enclave’s frontier with Israel for demonstrations that have devolved into violent clashes with Israeli security forces.
There were no reports of casualties in Gaza from the Israeli airstrikes, but Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli forces shot and wounded 11 protesters during Tuesday’s rioting along the border.
The Israeli army said that it used a drone, helicopter and tank to strike multiple posts in northern and southern Gaza belonging to the Strip’s Hamas rulers in response to what it described as “violent riots” at the security fence between Gaza and Israel.
The protests involve Palestinians throwing stones and explosive devices, burning tires and, according to the Israeli military, shooting at Israeli soldiers.
Hamas, the terror group that seized control of Gaza in 2007, has said that young Palestinians have organized the protests in response to surging violence in the West Bank and alleged provocations in Jerusalem.
In recent days, Palestinians have also floated incendiary kites and balloonsacross the border into southern Israel, setting fire to farmland and unnerving Israeli civilian communities close to Gaza.
Police chief warns of dozens of alerts for terror attacks in coming days
Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai warned Tuesday that the country is facing dozens of terror threats during the ongoing High Holiday period, and that security force would take measures to counter the danger.
Speaking at a weekly meeting of senior police staff, Shabtai instructed that all officers be refreshed on relevant procedures as they secure the coming Sukkot holiday, which begins on Friday night.
“We are still very much on alert for the High Holidays, with dozens of warnings and intentions to carry out terrorist attacks,” Shabtai said. “I am asking everyone today to refresh procedures on the ground, for high vigilance, quick response to events, and visibility and presence in crowded places.”
He said police should place an emphasis on recreation and leisure sites, hiking trails, and places of worship.
“The general quiet is deceiving and can shift in an instant, so we must maintain a high level of vigilance,” he warned.
The heightened readiness will continue until at least the end of the coming Sukkot holiday, which ends October 6.
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