Gaza Strip: Israeli Air Strikes on Hamas Positions

After the death of demonstrators in the Gaza Strip, more than 30 rockets from the Palestinian area were fired at Israel. Reuters reports with reference to the Israeli army. Ten missiles were intercepted, the others in an uninhabited area. In response to rocket fire, helicopters and Israeli warplanes attacked radical Islamist Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip. For a long time reports of injured or deceased persons were not available.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, four Palestinian protesters were shot dead by Israeli soldiers. 85 people were injured during protests on Friday in the Gaza Strip, it was reported. A fifth Palestinian was killed in an explosion accident in the Gaza Strip, which had nothing to do with the demonstrations on the fence of the border. He was working on an explosive device.

Climbing compromises mediation efforts

According to the Israeli army, about 16,000 "protesters and rioters" had gathered at the border. They had lit tires and threw explosives in the direction of the soldiers. The upsurge of violence threatens the mediation efforts of the UN and the Egyptian government, which aim to prevent a further escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Since the end of March, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed in demonstrations on the Gaza border. The protesters are calling for the lifting of the Gaza blockade, in force for more than a decade, as well as for the return of Palestinian refugees to areas now owned by Israel. The Gaza Strip has more than two million inhabitants. There is a lack of drinking water and electricity, among others. Hamas' decision in the Gaza Strip is clbadified by the United States, the European Union and Israel as a terrorist organization.