TEL AVIV, June 16 (CGTN) - Israeli fighter aircraft early on Wednesday struck military facilities in southern and central Gaza Strip in response to incendiary balloons launched into Israel, security sources in Gaza said.
The sources said that Israeli army reconnaissance drones hovered over the besieged coastal enclave at around midnight, adding that several explosions were heard in southern and central Gaza Strip.
The sources and eyewitnesses said that Israeli fighter aircraft bombed military facilities that belong to al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
They added that a Hamas military post was bombed in the suburb of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, and another military post was bombed south of Gaza city.
The sources said that no injuries were reported, but severe damage was caused to the two Hamas posts.
The Israeli airstrikes on Hamas' military posts were carried out in response to the dozens of incendiary balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.
The airstrikes on the Gaza Strip are the first since May 21, the end of a tit-for-tat violent tension between Israel and Hamas-led militant groups that lasted for 11 days.
Israeli media reported that the Israeli army announced that its fighter aircraft bombed several military facilities that belong to the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, Israeli media said that more than 25 fires were caused by the incendiary balloons.
Launching the balloons from Gaza at Israel was believed to be a Palestinian response to the Israeli settlers' flag march that was organized in East Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, thousands of Palestinian demonstrators joined a demonstration in Gaza city to protest against the Israeli flag march held in the old city in East Jerusalem.
The demonstrators, who waved Palestinian flags only, gathered at al-Wahdeh Street in Gaza city's center, the place which was bombed by Israeli fighter jets last month and destroyed dozens of buildings.
