Israeli planes bomb Gaza in response to incendiary balloons

Giulia Carbonaro

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Israeli planes launched air strikes on the Gaza strip early on Wednesday in response to incendiary balloons believed to have been released by Palestinian militants, the first flare-up since the fragile truce reached last month after 11 days of deadly conflict.

The airstrikes were the first under the new coalition government guided by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the far-right leader who took the role on Sunday after ousting Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Palestinian protester throws a burning projectile towards Israeli forces during a demonstration east of Gaza City by the border with Israel. /Mahmud Hams/AFP

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Tensions between the two sides started rising again when the new Israeli government announced permission for a far-right Jewish march to go ahead through Palestinian territories in Jerusalem, despite objections from other parties in the coalition and threats from Hamas.

More than a thousand people took part in the parade, with ultranationalist demonstrators carrying Israeli flags through the Old City, some reportedly chanting "Death to Arabs." Yair Lapid, the architect of the new government, tweeted that "it's inconceivable how you can hold an Israeli flag and shout 'Death to Arabs' at the same time."

The march also triggered protests in the West Bank and Gaza strip, and calls from the UN and U.S. to restrain the march.

Israeli security officers scuffle with a Palestinian man as ultranationalists take part in the March of the Flags near Jerusalem's Old City on June 15, celebrating the anniversary of Israel's 1967 occupation of Jerusalem's eastern sector. /Ahmad Gharabli/AFP

According to Palestinian sources, the strikes were aimed at least at one site east of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military said on Wednesday that it responded to "arson balloons" with attacks that were targeted at "facilities and meeting sites for terror operatives" in Khan Yunis.

Later on Wednesday, the escalation of violence continued when a 29-year-old Palestinian woman was shot after attempting to attack Israeli soldiers with a knife.

Last month's fighting in the region claimed 250 victims among Palestinians and 13 people killed in Israel, together with thousands homes destroyed and damaged.

Cover image: Mahmud Hams/AFP

Source(s): AFP