Incendiary balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday hours after the IDF struck targets in the Gaza Strip late Monday night and into Tuesday morning after 10 fires were sparked by incendiary balloons launched into Israel from the Hamas-run coastal enclave.
وحدات وعد التحرير تواصل إطلاق البالونات الحارقة تجاه مستوطنات غلاف غزة pic.twitter.com/MgkYmBF0r7
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) August 24, 2021
IDF fighter jets had struck a weapons production site in Khan Younis, a terrorist tunnel in Jabaliya and a rocket-launching platform in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, which was located in a civilian area near a school, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has confirmed.In response to machine-gun fire from Gaza that was heard in Israel, the military carried out an additional strike on a Hamas terrorist tunnel in Khan Younis.
The strike was in response to the firing of incendiary balloons, which "proved once again that the terrorist organization Hamas continues to lead and degenerate Gaza into a terrorist state," the IDF said, adding that they will continue to strongly respond to further attempts at terrorism and that it holds Hamas responsible for everything that happens in Gaza.
Despite the continuing balloon launches, imported vehicles and gravel were allowed into the Gaza Strip from Israel on Tuesday.
The balloon launches came as Palestinian factions threatened to continue "popular activities," including border protests, until the blockade on the Gaza Strip is lifted and Qatari funds are transferred into the coastal enclave.
Shortly before the strikes began, a Palestinian merchant was reportedly arrested by Israeli forces at the Erez crossing into the Gaza Strip. The reason for his arrest is unclear.
Footage from the targeting of the #Hamas compound West of Khan Younis, #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/hiIGrXIcTj
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) August 23, 2021
Images and video footage of what appear to be IDF strikes on multiple targets in Gaza have circulated over social media.
Another angle being shared on social media of the strike in Zeitoun, #Gaza City, reportedly against #Hamas Tunis Compound. pic.twitter.com/UYf4qrqc9q
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) August 23, 2021
Gazan air defenses responded to the airstrikes with heavy machine-gun fire, the sounds of which were even heard in the Israeli city of Sderot, KAN reported.
בעזה הגיבו לתקיפת חיל האוויר בירי מקלעים, שקולם נשמע גם בשדרות@pozailov1 (צילום: משה בן עזרא) pic.twitter.com/9zsHNsoRQe
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 23, 2021
Hamas official Ismail Radwan responded to the airstrikes early Tuesday, saying that "the occupation’s bombing of the Gaza Strip demonstrates its confusion and failure regarding the steadfastness and stability of our Palestinian people... and our resistance to the extent of the challenge. The bets of the occupation will fail and we will continue, and the bombing will only increase our determination and perseverance to extract our rights."
The launches came two days after Border Police officer St.-Sgt. Barel Shmueli was critically injured after a Palestinian terrorist shot him during violent riots along the Gaza border. Shmueli remains in critical condition.
Palestinian factions announced on Monday that another demonstration along the border is planned for Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis. A statement on Tuesday by the factions called for large crowds to participate in the event, which the factions described as "peaceful." The riots on Saturday were also described as "peaceful."
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been in contact with Egyptian officials concerning the recent events in Gaza, Al-Aqsa TV reported on Tuesday. Egypt kept the Rafah Crossing closed on Tuesday for a second day, reportedly in response to the violent riots in which Shmueli was injured. Army Radio reported that Egypt also made the decision to not allow travelers with a Palestinian passport to land in Cairo.
Despite the Egyptian decision, the crossings with Israel remained open on Monday and Tuesday and no indication was made that plans to transfer Qatari funds to Gaza would be disrupted.
Trucks loaded with construction iron, diesel, gasoline and gas entered the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing on Monday, according to Palestinian reports.
The right-wing Im Tirtzu organization announced on Monday that it was organizing a protest in front of the crossing, located in the southern Gaza Strip, at 5 a.m. on Wednesday to protest the continued transfer of goods into the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday night, Israel conducted airstrikes against Hamas weapons storage and manufacturing sites in Gaza in response to the violent riots.
Eshkol Regional Council head Gadi Yarkoni responded to the incendiary balloons on Monday, stating that the Palestinian's terrorist groups' "audacity to reignite the balloon terror attacks and light up our forests must be stopped."
"If not stopped today, we will find ourselves extinguishing fires for another summer," Yarkoni said. "What starts with acceptance of incendiary balloons, ends with rocket attacks and firing towards IDF soldiers," he added.
Yarkoni concluded by saying he "expects the government to send an immediate message to these terror groups."
On Sunday night, explosive balloons were reportedly launched from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel. A number of fires were reported on Monday morning there, although it is as of yet unclear if the fires were caused by incendiary balloons.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.