Israel’s Defense Forces(IDF) launched a series of airstrikes into Gaza after a balloon attack sent incendiary devices floating into southern Israel.
The balloon attacks sparked nearly two dozen fires in Israel. According to the IDF, the strike which happened early Wednesday morning local time, June 16, targeted Hamas military compounds.
Explosions lit the night sky above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli forces shelled the Palestinian enclave. According to the IDF, the targets were used by Hamas’ Khan Yunis and Gaza Brigades for “terror activities,”.
The unrest comes after an Israeli nationalist march in East Jerusalem that celebrated the 1967 capture of the city.
The military said in a statement “The Hamas terror organization is responsible for all events transpiring in the Gaza Strip and will bear the consequences for its actions. The IDF is prepared for any scenario, including a resumption of hostilities, in the face of continuing terror activities from the Gaza Strip.”
According to the Times of Israel, there were no injuries on both sides of the aisle.
The violence comes just three weeks after a cease-fire halted 11 days of fighting, marking the worst clashes between the IDF and Hamas militants since a small-scale war in 2014.