Tensions heat up at Israel-Gaza border
Hamas fires off incendiary balloons after night’s air raids; Palestinian teen killed
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas-backed Palestinian activists in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday launched a new wave of incendiary balloons into Israel, further raising tensions after a night of Israeli airstrikes on the seaside territory.
The enemy sides this week have engaged in their heaviest cross-border fighting since an 11-day battle in May. In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, officials said a Palestinian teen was killed in a clash with the Israeli military.
The May fighting between Israel and Hamas militants ended with an inconclusive Egyptian-brokered cease-fire. Since then, Gaza’s Hamas rulers have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in efforts to cement the truce. Hamas wants Israel to lift a stifling blockade on Gaza, while Israel has demanded the return of the remains of two soldiers in addition to two captive Israeli civilians who Hamas is believed to be holding.
Hamas-backed activists have launched balloons into southern Israel several times in recent weeks, setting fires. On Saturday, they held a violent demonstration along the border fence.
During the demonstration, a militant next to the fence pulled out a pistol and shot an Israeli sniper in the head at point-blank range. The Israeli remains in critical condition. Some two dozen Palestinians also were hit by Israeli fire.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it was beefing up its forces along the Gaza border and conducting extensive exercises. The army said it would “act aggressively” against any militant activity along the fence.
Early Tuesday, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Hamas targets in response to the incendiary balloons. The military said Hamas fired machine guns into Israel, drawing an additional airstrike. No casualties were reported on either side.
But by the afternoon, the activists were launching balloons again. “Our message is clear and explicit. This siege must be broken,” said one of the activists, who identified himself as Abu Omar. “We will not be intimidated by any threats.”
The violence has complicated the cease-fire efforts by Egypt, which closed its border with Gaza on Monday because of difficulties in the cease-fire talks. It also has threatened to overshadow a visit to Washington by Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, who is scheduled to meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.
Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections. The blockade restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza and has crushed the economy. Israel has tightened the blockade since the war, holding up deliveries of much-needed reconstruction materials.
Israel said last week that it had reached an agreement with the Persian Gulf country Qatar to resume monthly aid payments to Gaza’s poorest families. The payments are to resume in the coming weeks, providing some relief to impoverished Gaza.