Israel ignores war warning, bombs Gaza

Israeli warplanes have bombed the Gaza Strip for the eighth consecutive night.

The bombing on Wednesday August 19, 2020, followed the allegation that Palestinians had fired a rocket into southern Israel.

The latest attacks came as Israel warned Hamas – the group that governs the Strip- it was risking “war” by failing to stop incendiary balloons being launched across the border.

Hamas security sources said Israeli warplanes and drones struck several facilities that belong to the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement.

The Israeli army air raids and artillery attacks caused severe damage to security posts and wounded several people, sources said. No deaths were reported.

In a statement released shortly before midnight, the Israeli military said “fighter jets and other aircraft struck additional Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip”.

“Earlier tonight, a rocket was fired and during the day, explosive and arson balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory,” the statement reads.

“During the strike, a military compound belonging to one of the special arrays of the Hamas terror organisation was struck,” it adds.

Egyptian security officials shuttled between the two sides 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.

Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, 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.

“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,” said Rivlin, whose post is largely ceremonial.

Source: News Agency