Israel's military carried out air strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight on Thursday, targeting Hamas compounds and a rocket launch site. The strikes were in retaliation for incendiary balloons launched by Palestinian militants into southern Israel.
This marks the second round of strikes in three nights, following multiple attacks with balloon-borne devices. The violence strains a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since 21 May, which ended 11 days of fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes hit military compounds in Gaza City and Khan Younis, as well as a rocket launch site. The IDF described the action as retaliation for 'arson balloons' sent towards Israeli towns.
In recent years, militants have frequently used helium balloons and kites carrying containers of burning fuel and explosive devices, causing hundreds of fires in Israel and burning thousands of hectares of forest and farmland.
Hamas militants responded to the jet strikes by firing heavy machine guns, according to AFP. Rocket-warning sirens sounded in Israeli border communities, but security sources told the BBC no rockets were fired from Gaza; the sirens were triggered by gunfire aimed at a military drone.
The air strikes are the first under Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose coalition government replaced long-standing leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
