International Desk :
The Israeli military says its aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza early in response to incendiary balloons launched from the besieged Palestinian enclave as a recent rise in violence tests a fragile truce that ended a deadly assault on Gaza in May.
The army said on Sunday hundreds of Palestinians gathered along the separation barrier between Israel and the Gaza Strip during the night, hurling explosives and burning tyres and that troops responded with “riot dispersal means”.
Palestinian groups had announced on Saturday they were resuming protests at the separation barrier, aiming to press Israel to ease punishing restrictions on the isolated territory, reports agencies.
Protests erupted later that day, with the Israeli army firing live rounds, tear gas, and stun grenades as Palestinians burned tyres. The health ministry in Gaza said 11 Palestinians had been hurt in the clashes, three of them by live rounds.
“The [air] strikes were in response to Hamas launching incendiary balloons into Israeli territory and the violent riots that took place yesterday,” a statement from the Israeli army said.
