Israeli aircraft bomb Gaza Strip in latest flare-up
Hamas says one of its training sites was struck in the overnight raid
July 02, 2021
- Hamas confirms one of its sites had been struck.
- Hamas calls the Israeli strikes a "showy reaction".
- Palestinians say balloons aim to pressure Israel to ease restrictions.
TEL AVIV/GAZA: Israel's military said on Friday its aircraft bombed a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip overnight in the latest flare-up in violence to hit the territory.
The Israeli military said it was in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave.
Hamas confirmed one of its sites had been struck. Al Jazeera quoted a Hamas source as saying it was a training site that was hit and that there were no casualties.
Israel's military claimed it had hit a Hamas weapons manufacturing site.
Since a May 21 ceasefire ended 11 days of Israel's bombing on Gaza, Palestinians in the strip have sporadically launched balloons with incendiary material across the border.
Palestinians say the balloons aim to pressure Israel to ease restrictions on the coastal enclave that were tightened during the May fighting.
"In response to the arson balloon fire towards Israeli territory today IDF (Israeli military) fighter jets struck (a) weapons manufacturing site belonging (to) Hamas," the military said in a statement.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the Israeli strikes a "showy reaction" and said Palestinians were "putting pressure on (Israel), forcing it to respect the rights of our people and to walk back its unjust positions."
Egypt and the United Nations have stepped up mediation efforts, though the incidents have not led to a broader escalation.
At least 250 Palestinians and 13 in Israel were killed in May, which saw Israel carry out air strikes across the coastal enclave and Gaza firing rockets towards Israeli cities.
