Hamas launched a barrage of rockets into the Mediterranean Sea on Monday in a “message” to Israel, a source closed to the Gaza-based militant group told AFP.
According to the source, the rockets were meant to show Israel that Gaza militants will not “remain silent” in the face of an Israeli blockade and “aggression”.
Footage of the launch has been posted online, showing the rockets streak past the sky over the coastal enclave toward the sea. Gaza’s interior ministry described the launch as “an act of resistance”.
Hamas test-fired 5 rockets towards Gaza sea today. pic.twitter.com/LdjvMaPNlJ
— Abdalrahim Alfarra (@AbdMfarra) August 10, 2020
Also on Monday, Palestinian fighters operating out of the Gaza Strip continued launching balloon-borne bombs into Israeli communities across the border from the enclave.
Some of the incendiary balloons exploded mid-air and some caused brush fires in the surrounding areas, according to Israeli residents.
שריפה פרצה באיזור קיבוץ ארז, נבדק חשד שנגרמה מבלון תבערה@Itsik_zuarets (צילום: ביטחון קיבוץ ארז) pic.twitter.com/IYm4BRbnw1
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 10, 2020
On Sunday evening, Gaza militants also fired a rocket toward southern Israel, which was shot down by Israel's Iron Dome air defences.
The Israeli army in response targeted Hamas positions in the enclave, including a cement factory and what it referred to as “underground facilities”, without elaborating.
Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005; Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip after a short-lived armed conflict with rival Palestinian faction Fatah in June 2007.
The Israeli government, which designates Hamas as a terror group, then imposed a land, air and sea blockade of the enclave. Israel controls all but one of the land border crossings with Gaza (Rafah is the sole entry point to Egypt).
The rationale for Israel’s actions is to prevent weapons from coming into Gaza, although Hamas has developed a homegrown weapons industry and regularly fires rockets and mortars into Israel, which then responds in kind.
