Warship
Israeli warplanes have bombed the Gaza Strip for the eighth consecutive night after claiming that Palestinians had fired a rocket into southern Israel.
It was gathered that the latest attacks came after Israel warned Hamas, the group that governs the Strip, that it was risking "war" by refusing to put an end to the incendiary balloons being launched across the border.
Hamas security sources reported that Israeli warplanes and drones struck several facilities that belong to the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement and the Israeli army air raids and artillery attacks have caused severe damage to security posts and wounded several people, but no deaths were reported.
In a statement released shortly before midnight (21:00 GMT), the Israeli military said "fighter jets and [other] aircraft struck additional Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip." The statement read:
"Earlier tonight, a rocket was fired and during the day, explosive and arson balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory," it said. "During the strike, a military compound belonging to one of the special arrays of the Hamas terror organisation was struck."
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, the Egyptian security officials shuttled between the two sides.
However, Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin had issued a warning to Hamas during a visit to firefighters in the area who said they were called out to 40 blazes caused by Palestinian incendiary balloons on Tuesday. Rivin said:
"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."