Israel attacked Hamas terrorist group military base in response to incendiary balloons being launched from Gaza

Israel bombed a military base of the terrorist group Hamas on Sunday in response to the launch of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip, which set Israeli soil on fire.

“IDF fighter jets attacked a Hamas military base, which contained infrastructure and assets used for terrorist activities. The military base was located next to civilian sites in the Gaza Strip, including a school, ”the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

And they warned: “The Israeli military will continue to react strongly against terrorist attempts from the Gaza Strip.

The attacks came after Israel halved the stranded coastal territory’s fishing area, a common response following projectile attacks by terrorist groups in the Palestinian enclave.

The military wing for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories (COGAT) said the fishing zone had been reduced from 12 to six nautical miles.

“The decision was taken after the continued launch of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip into Israel, which constitutes a violation of Israeli sovereignty “said in a statement.

Hamas is “responsible for all activities within the Gaza Strip and for all actions originating in the Gaza Strip directed against the State of Israel (…) Therefore, it will bear the consequences of the violence committed. against the citizens of the state. Israel, ”added the Israeli organization.

Early Sunday, Israeli firefighters said they had extinguished bushfires at three points in the Eshkol area, near the border, by attributing the cause to “incendiary balloons”.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed activists linked to Hamas throwing the balloons. On one of them was written the message: “Hurry up”.

The balloons are basic devices intended to set fire to agricultural land surrounding the Palestinian enclave blocked by Israel.

July 12, Israel announced that it was once again expanding the fishing zone off the Gaza Strip and allowing further imports into Palestinian territory., but warned the measure could be canceled in response to further unrest.

In May, An 11-day conflict resulted in Israel launching hundreds of airstrikes against Hamas terrorists in retaliation for launching thousands of rockets from Gaza.

Before the May conflict, the enclave’s fishing zone was 15 nautical miles, but Israel reduced it during the war.

Sporadic unrest has occurred since a ceasefire ended the conflict, with incendiary balloons launched from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas-owned facilities. However, no casualties were reported.

The last time balloons from Gaza ignited a fire in Israel was earlier this month.

The new Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennettcompared incendiary balloon launches to missile launches and ordered airstrikes after previous incidents.

Last week Israel also responded to attacks in Lebanon, where Hezbollah terrorists operate.

Extremist groups launched two rockets at Israel, one intercepted by the Israeli anti-missile system “Iron Dome” and the other fell in an open space, without causing any casualties, in the northwest region of the Galilee, where the antiaircraft alarms went off.

“The Lebanese state is responsible for rocket fire at night, since it allows terrorists to operate on its territory,” said the Minister of Defense. Benny Gantz.

The Israeli trade press pointed out that the rockets were not fired by Hezbollah, a terrorist group based in southern Lebanon with which Israel already fought a war in 2006, but by Palestinian groups linked to Hezbollah and Hamas, which have controlled Gaza since 2007.

In fact, in recent weeks Israel has detained dozens of young Palestinians on the border with Lebanon, which it links to Hamas, for allegedly participating in arms smuggling.

Gantz warned that Israel “will act in the face of any threat to its sovereignty or its citizens and respond according to their interests at the right time and in the right place.”

With information from AFP, AP and EFE

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