Release of incendiary balloons provokes Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

dpa Gaza City/Tel Aviv A series of incendiary balloons launched towards Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip prompted the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to...

dpa Gaza City/Tel AvivA series of incendiary balloons launched towards Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip prompted the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to respond with a series of airstrikes overnight into Tuesday.IDF fighter jets struck a Hamas rocket manufacturing workshop, as well as a Hamas military compound in Khan Yunis. The military compound contains a cement factory used for building tunnels.According to Israel, it was intentionally located in a civilian area adjacent to a mosque and a water treatment site.Critics of Hamas, which administers the Gaza Strip, argues that it lets such targets be put up near civilian sites, partially in the hopes that the proximity will deter Israel from firing on them, but also partially out of hope that it will make Israel look bad if any retaliation kills people or destroys critical infrastructure.Israel said the incident was an example of how Hamas continues to employ terror tactics and target civilians. The IDF said it will continue to respond forcefully to any terror attempts emanating from the Gaza strip.Tensions have been high between Israel and the Gaza Strip this year, heightening fears of another series of deadly clashes such as those experienced in May.Demonstrations against the Israeli policy to keep the Gaza border crossing sealed are a regular occurrence, often with deaths and injuries. Gaza residents also frequently send up balloons containing flammable materials or explosives, in the hopes they will come down onto Israeli territory and cause damage.Israel has lifted some restrictions in recent weeks, but Hamas is fighting for the removal of all blockades set up in 2007. But Israel is not inclined to open things up too broadly for Gaza, since it still classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization, as do the US and the European Union.About 2 million people live in the narrow strip of land, which offers few jobs and little infrastructure.