For Second Day, Israel Strikes Gaza in Response to Palestinian Violence

In a response to escalating Palestinian violence, over Shabbos Israel conducted airstrikes on a terror site in Gaza for the second consecutive day, according to the IDF. These actions came after Palestinian terrorists deployed incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and Palestinian demonstrators hurled stones and explosives at Israeli soldiers stationed at the security fence.

There were no reported casualties resulting from the Israeli strikes in Gaza. However, earlier in the day, the IDF had to employ defensive measures, resulting in the injury of three Palestinians who were participating in protests near the separation fence along the Israeli frontier with Gaza. This tactic of violence during protests at the separation fence has unfortunately become commonplace for Palestinians in Gaza.

These recent clashes are part of a series of violent protests that have transpired over the past week, raising concerns about a potential escalation, marking the first such increase in hostilities since a brief confrontation last May between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group. This situation is unfolding at a precarious time, just before the onset of Sukkos.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem, speaking from the protests, where tires set ablaze smoldered behind him, stated, “Our rebellious youth are expressing their anger at the attempts at religious war being waged against our people in Jerusalem.”

The IDF has clarified that its recent actions targeted a post affiliated with Gaza’s ruling Hamas rulers near the separation fence in eastern Gaza, where numerous Palestinians had gathered for protests. Hamas-linked media outlets displayed images of terrorists sending balloons laden with incendiary devices across the border from eastern Khan Younis.

The incidents on Friday and Shabbos fell short of triggering a full-scale escalation but highlighted the fragile nature of the relative calm that had prevailed along Israel’s border with Gaza over the past few months.