Israeli warplanes pound Hamas targets in Gaza Strip
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Israeli warplanes pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early yesterday in a new flare- up of hostilities that saw dozens of rockets and mortar shells fired from the Palestinian enclave, the army said.
A military spokesman said all targets belonged to Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine al- Qassam Brigades, and the strikes were more intense than in previous sorties.
“We struck at a greater intensity, with the intended message for Hamas to understand that we will not allow this situation to continue,” spokesman Jonathan Conricus told reporters.
The latest spike in tensions follows weeks of deadly protests and clashes along the Gaza-Israel border as well as the worst military escalation last month since a 2014 war.
It comes as US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Jason Greenblatt and adviser Jared Kushner visit the region to discuss issues including the PalestinianIsraeli peace process.
Israeli planes initially targeted three Hamas military positions overnight in Gaza in response to kites and balloons carrying incendiary and explosive devices launched into Israel from the Palestinian territory, the army said.
“They may look like toys but I can assure they are not toys, they are weapons intended to kill and to inflict damage,” Conricus said.
He said that so far Israel had sought to warn off those launching the airborne devices but that could change.
“We have warned verbally, we have fired various munitions in close proximity to (them), we have fired various munitions on various related supporting infrastructure and equipment, vehicles etcetera, related to efforts to launch kites — that may not remain the situation,” Conricus said in English.
“Hamas and other terrorists, but mainly Hamas” hit back after the first air raids with more than 45 rockets and mortar rounds fired from Gaza towards Israel, seven of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, he added.
Three more landed inside the Jewish state, he said, but did not account for the remainder.
In response, Israeli planes carried out more raids against 25 ‘ terror objectives’ including an underground training compound, according to the army.
Gaza medical sources said that five people were lightly injured in the strikes.
Conricus said that more than 200,000 Israeli civilians live within range of the short-range rockets fired from Gaza.
“Most if not all of those spent the night in bomb shelters,” he said.
Tensions have soared in Gaza since mass protests and clashes broke out along the border on March 30.
At least 132 Palestinians have been killed.
There have been no Israeli fatalities.
Palestinians are demanding the right to return to the homes their families fled or were expelled from during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. — AFP