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Gaza unrest: Fire balloons, airstrikes mark a new round of violence in Israel
Israel’s Defense Forces launched a counterattack into Gaza after a balloon attack sent incendiary devices floating into southern Israel.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel’s Defense Forces launched airstrikes on Gaza Tuesday after it said Hamas launched incendiary balloons into Israeli territory.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties from the attack in Gaza.
The counterstrike, which happened Tuesday evening in the U.S. and early Wednesday morning local time, targeted Hamas military compounds, according to the IDF.
The targets were used by Hamas' Khan Yunis and Gaza Brigades for "terror activities," according to the IDF.
"The Hamas terror organization is responsible for all events transpiring in the Gaza Strip, and will bear the consequences for its actions," the military said in a statement. "The IDF is prepared for any scenario, including a resumption of hostilities, in the face of continuing terror activities from the Gaza Strip."
Tensions have risen again following a cease-fire by Israel and Hamas who had agreed to halt an 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead.
The fighting had begun in April, when Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli police on a nightly basis in east Jerusalem over restrictions on public gatherings during the holy month of Ramadan. The clashes eventually spread to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site, and were also fueled by Jewish settlers' attempts to evict dozens of Palestinian families.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally. The Palestinians want a state in all three territories, with east Jerusalem as its capital. Hamas, which is seen as a terrorist organization by Israel and Western countries, does not recognize Israel.
After warning Israel to halt the evictions and withdraw security forces from Al-Aqsa, Hamas launched a barrage of long-range rockets at Jerusalem on May 10, disrupting an annual parade by Jewish ultranationalists celebrating Israel's conquest of east Jerusalem.
This story was reported in Los Angeles. FOX News and The Associated Press contributed.