JUNE 16 — Israel mounted air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday (June 16), the first since the end of 11 days of cross-border fighting last month, in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian territory.
The flare-up, a first test for Israel’s new government, followed a march in East Jerusalem on Tuesday (June 15) by Jewish nationalists that had drawn threats of action by Hamas, the ruling group in Gaza.
The Israeli military said its aircraft attacked Hamas armed compounds in Gaza City and the southern town of Khan Younis and was “ready for all scenarios, including renewed fighting in the face of continued terrorist acts emanating from Gaza”.
The strikes, the military said, came in response to the launching of the balloons, which the Israeli fire brigade reported caused 20 blazes in open fields in communities near the Gaza border.
A Hamas spokesman, confirming the Israeli attacks, said Palestinians would continue to pursue their “brave resistance and defend their rights and sacred sites” in Jerusalem.
The air raids mark the first major flare-up between Israel and Gaza since a ceasefire on May 21 ended Israel’s 11-day assault on the territory, which killed 265 Palestinians, including 66 children.
