Israeli Warplanes Strike Gaza 2nd Time Since May’s Ceasefire

Rockets fired by Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas from the northern Gaza strip towards Israel. 

(Photo Source: IANS)

Israel launched air strikes on Gaza on Thursday, 17 June, in retaliation to the launching of dozens of incendiary balloons into southern Israel from Gaza for the third consecutive day, as per Xinhua news agency.

The Palestinian sources and witnesses said that several explosions were heard in the northern and southern Gaza Strip following the airstrikes.

Severe damage was caused to the military posts, but no immediate injuries were reported.

The Israeli media reports said that the incendiary balloons launched from Gaza caused at least eight fires in communities close to the borders.

Launching of incendiary balloons at Israel has been going on since Tuesday, 15 June, in protest against the Israeli rightists' flag march in East Jerusalem.

The Israeli Army had carried out the first airstrike in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire, which came into effect on 21 May, after the 11-day bloodshed in the besieged enclave.

In the attack, Israeli war jets struck military compounds belonging to Hamas in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of Israeli ultra-nationalists had marched to East Jerusalem on Tuesday, waving Israeli flags. Some of them chanted "Death to Arabs" and other anti-Arab slurs.