Israeli warplanes bombed the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip overnight after Palestinians fired a rocket into southern Israel, the army said.
The latest exchange came as Israel warned Hamas it was risking “war” by failing to stop fire balloons being launched across the border.
Egyptian security officials shuttled between the two sides in a bid to end the flare-up, which has seen more than a week of rocket and fire balloon attacks from Gaza and nightly Israeli reprisals.
“Earlier tonight, a rocket was fired and during the day, explosive and arson balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” said a military statement released shortly before midnight.
In response, “fighter jets and (other) aircraft struck additional Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip.
“During the strike, a military compound belonging to one of the special arrays of the Hamas organisation was struck,” the English-language statement added.
There were no reports from Gaza of casualties.
In Gaza City yesterday, demonstrators burned Israeli flags and pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in protest at last week’s announcement that the United Arab Emirates was normalising relations with the Jewish state.
Many Palestinians saw the move as a betrayal of their cause by the Gulf country.
Marchers yesterday carried placards reading, “Palestine is not for sale, down with the deal of shame,” in Arabic and English.
“We reject normalisation from any country and from any regime,” senior Hamas official Khalil al-Haya said during the protest.
“The Zionist occupation must be boycotted, and it must be criminalised, rejected, and it must end.”
Fayez Abu Eita, of the rival Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also took part in the rally.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued a warning to Hamas during a visit on Tuesday to firefighters in southern Israel who said they were called out to 40 blazes caused by Gaza arson balloons during the day.
“Terrorism using incendiary kites and balloons is terrorism just like any other,” Rivlin told them, according to a statement from his office.
“Hamas should know that this is not a game. The time will come when they have to decide... If they want war, they will get war,” said Rivlin, whose post is largely ceremonial.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.
Despite a truce last year, Hamas and Israel clash sporadically, with Palestinian incendiary balloons or rocket or mortar fire drawing retaliatory Israeli strikes and sanctions against civilians in Gaza.
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