Israeli air strikes pound Gaza after wave of firebomb balloons

Israeli warplanes have struck Hamas strongholds in Gaza as retribution for a wave of unmanned balloons equipped with incendiary devices released on the wind from the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli military said the sites included weapons manufacturing sites and intelligence-gathering facilities.

There were no reports of injuries from the airstrikes in southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.

Blaming Hamas, the military said it considers “any kind of terror activity with great severity and will continue operating as necessary against attempts to harm its civilians”.

Palestinian groups resumed launching flammable balloons recently, and Hamas said it’s encouraging the shootings, charging Israel of not honouring an unofficial truce meant to improve the economy of the narrow enclave.

Read the article in The New Daily.