Israel begins fresh airstrikes on Gaza breaking a truce

Gaza: Three days after the new government took charge, another round of Israeli airstrikes began targeting the Gaza Strip as a response to incendiary balloons sent from Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

The fresh attack, the first after 11-day spraying of ammunition at Gaza, is said to have been following a Jewish right-wing march in East Jerusalem on Tuesday.

The Israeli military is reported to have confirmed attacking Hamas compounds in Gaza City and Khan Younis early on Wednesday. An Army statement claimed it was defending the continued terrorist acts emanating from Gaza in the wake of renewed fighting.

The military further said that balloons caused 20 blazes in open fields in communities near the Gaza border that forced them to retaliate and warned that it was prepared to face hostilities from the Gaza side. However, no reports so far available of casualties in Gaza caused by the airstrike.

Responding to the fresh airstrikes targeting its strongholds, Hamas said Palestinians are determined to continue the brave resistance and defend their rights and sacred sites in Jerusalem.

Israeli police fired rubber bullets at Palestinians who were protesting against provocative slogans raised against Arabs in the Jewish ultranationalists march on Tuesday. The provocative parade, which was approved by the newly elected Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was held through Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.

An eyewitness said that several Palestinians were injured in the Israeli police firing. Palestinians also held an anti-right-wing march inside Gaza that had also witnessed the Israeli attacked. Gazans responded to the Police attack by sending helium-filled balloons into Israel, causing dozens of fires.

Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza protested against Tuesday's so-called "March of the Flags", which marks the anniversary of Israel's 1967 occupation of the city's eastern part.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, Israeli police forcibly removed dozens of Palestinians from outside the Old City's Damascus Gate in advance of the march. At least 17 Palestinians were arrested and 33 others were wounded as Israeli police fired stun grenades in the surrounding areas of Damascus Gate.