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IDF strikes Hamas position after terror balloons spark fires near Israeli town

Gaza border riots continue alongside launches of ‘terror balloons’ carrying incendiary bombs, sparking fires near Israeli towns.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli forces struck a Hamas position in the Gaza Strip Tuesday afternoon, in response to the ongoing launches of incendiary “terror balloons” from the coastal enclave towards Israeli territory.

Arab riots continued along the Gaza border, with reports of gunfire directed at IDF soldiers positioned along the security fence.

A number of rioters assembled makeshift incendiary bombs and attached them to balloons which were launched towards Israeli territory. In a number of instances, the so-called “terror balloons” landed near Israeli towns, sparking fires.

Several blazes were reported outside the town of Kfar Aza, near the Gaza frontier.

The IDF responded to the gunfire and the incendiary bomb attacks by striking a Hamas military position in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian media outlets reported Tuesday afternoon.

Israeli forces also fired tear gas at rioters to drive them away from the security fence.

No injuries were reported among the Israeli security personnel.

This is the third week in a row of the border riots, which have escalated over the last week, with multiple attempted terrorist infiltrations into Israel, several shooting attacks on IDF forces along the frontier, and the increasing use of terror balloons.

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The Israeli military carried out a drone strike against a Hamas position in the Gaza Strip on Monday, following a similar shooting attack and multiple terror balloon launches.

In response to the rioting, Israel has shuttered the Erez crossing, barring some 17,000 Gazans who carry work permits from entering Israel.

Hamas has demanded that Israel increase the number of work permits granted to Gazans, while Jerusalem has insisted that the riots along the border end before the border crossing is reopened and any workers permitted to enter the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinian terrorists operating out of Samaria opened fire on an IDF position near the Palestinian Authority-administered town of Tulkarem.

No injuries were reported in the attack, and a manhunt was launched for the terrorists involved.

Shortly after the shooting, the terrorists uploaded a video of the attack, showing three gunmen firing assault rifles towards the IDF position.