More Strikes Against Hamas

After a third day of incendiary balloon attacks from the Gaza Strip, the IDF struck Hamas targets late on Thursday night. No injuries have been reported, apparently because the IDF continued its policy of warning Gazan residents in advance of hitting the ten chosen targets.

Just before 10pm on Thursday night the IDF tweeted an explanation of their action along with a picture of one of their targets, showing that it was close to a mosque and a tourist site.

Thursday’s incendiary balloons caused eight more fires in Israeli communities near the Gaza border, making it the third consecutive day of fires since the terrorists resumed this type of attack on Tuesday.

Overall these attacks have burnt more than 30 acres of crops, including three acres of lemon trees, an acre of clementine trees and fields of wheat. So, Israel’s new government is determined that the attacks stop and that Hamas sticks to the ceasefire agreement reached at the end of the 11-day conflict in May.

The news video below was published on Wednesday, the second day of incendiary balloon attacks, and shows some of the damage caused to crops.

Hamas is reported to be frustrated about delays in receiving the latest monthly aid payment from Qatar which amounts to millions of dollars. Israel is said to be refusing to allow transfer of the money until Hamas releases two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two IDF soldiers held since the conflict in 2014.

Egypt is also said to oppose restarting the Qatari aid payments, insisting that the money should not go to Hamas, but rather be used to help the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.