- Israel fired rockets at Gaza in response to the balloon.
- The balloon sparked a bushfire.
- Cannons were also fired into northern Gaza.
The Israeli military said that Israel launched an air strike on Gaza on Monday night in retaliation for the burning of a burning balloon launched from a blocked Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli army blamed Hamas for the balloon, saying its goal was to control the location of militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
Read | Israel attacks Gaza after burning balloons are launched
The Israeli army said in a statement: “Overnight, IDF fighter jets attacked the Hamas rocket manufacturing workshop and the Hamas military base at Khan Younis.”
The statement added: “The attack was in response to Hamas’s launch of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory.”
Witnesses said the army also fired artillery into northern Gaza.
According to medical sources in the Palestinian enclave, no one was killed.
Earlier in the day, Israeli firefighters stated that burning balloons caused three bushfires near the Gaza Strip.
Launching temporary equipment is a common strategy for militants in the Gaza Strip, and Israel has been blocked for nearly 15 years.
Israel often responds with air strikes.
Monday’s strike occurred earlier in the day when six Palestinians escaped from an Israeli prison through a tunnel, triggering a large-scale raid.
Hamas and Israel fought a devastating 11-day conflict in May, which was the worst conflict between the two parties in years.
Although it ended with a ceasefire promoted by Egypt and aid from Qatar to alleviate poverty in the Palestinian enclaves, incendiary bombs and occasional border conflicts have continued in the months since.
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