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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – An Israeli airstrike against a Gaza crew launching incendiary devices killed a member of the militant group Hamas and wounded , Israeli and Palestinian officials said Thursday.
Palestinians launched mortars at Israel immediately after the strike and warned of incoming rockets. Israel deployed tank fire at Hamas positions in response, the military said.
Israel's military said it targeted militants "launching arson balloons." It said the military "will continue to operate decisively against Hamas led terrorists and seekers. activity with great severity. "
Hamas said the man was a member of a" special force "tasked with monitoring the Gaza border fence.
The media in Israel was born when they were involved in launching the devices.
Thursday 's incident marks marks the first fatality reported by Palestinians launching incendiary devices. Israel has been firing near them until now. It was not clear if this was a shift in military policy.
The launching of incendiary devices is part of a campaign led by Gaza's Hamas rulers against Israel meant in part to draw attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after the militant group of control in Gaza in 2007.
Hamas has led weekly protests along the Gaza Strip since March 30. The demonstrations have been fueled in large part by pervasive despair caused by the blockade which has widespread economic hardship.
Over 135, mostly unarmed, Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since protests began.
Israel says it is defending its sovereign border and accuses Hamas, a group sworn to its destruction, On Saturday, Israel struck Hamas targets in its biggest bombing since the 2014 war, while Gaza militants fired dozens of rockets toward Israel. Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, while four Israelis were wounded by a rocket that landed on a residential home in Sderot.
Israel says it has no interest in engaging with Hamas, but says it will no longer tolerated Gaza activist campaign of flying incendiary kites and balloons
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