In second airstrike in 2 days, Israeli aircraft strike Palestinian cell launching incendiary balloons on Israel, leaving 2 seriously injured in Gaza.
By i24NEWS
An Israeli aircraft struck a group of Palestinians said to be launching incendiary balloons from Southern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Saturday, an IDF statement confirmed.
Palestinian media reported that two Palestinians were wounded in the strike. One of the injured is said to be in critical condition.
🔥 Over 8K acres of Israeli land burnt.
🐢 1000s of animals killed.
🎈Because of arson & explosive kites & balloons that terrorists in #Gaza fly over the border.
A terrorist squad was just launching MORE arson balloons into #Israel. In response, an IDF aircraft fired at them. pic.twitter.com/0010uhohfl— Israel Defense Forces (@IDFSpokesperson) October 20, 2018
The previous day, the IDF launched a similar strike from an Israeli aircraft at what it said was yet another “terrorist squad launching arson balloons.”
The incident on Saturday comes after what the IDF said was the least violent Friday on the border in seven months, referring to when the “Great March of Return” protests first began.
It added that the IDF did not have to modify its policy for handling the protests, unlike in previous weeks when violence got out of hand.
Israeli officials believe Hamas is now working to quell violence along the Gaza border in an effort to give Egyptian-brokered mediators a chance at striking a long-term ceasefire between itself as the Jewish state, Hadashot news reported on Friday.