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Israeli airstrikes target Gaza sites, first since cease-fire

Bezalel Smotrich
Posted at 6:28 AM, Jun 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-16 09:28:50-04

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli aircraft carried out a series of airstrikes at militant sites in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the first such raids since a shaky cease-fire ended the war with Hamas militants last month.

The Israeli airstrikes early Friday targeted facilities used by Hamas for meetings to plan attacks, the military said, blaming the militant group for any act of violence emanating from Gaza.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

On Tuesday, hundreds of Israeli ultranationalists, some chanting “Death to Arabs,” paraded in east Jerusalem in a show of force that threatened to spark renewed violence. In response, Palestinians in Gaza launched incendiary balloons that reportedly caused around 10 fires in Israel.

The conflict and parade provided early challenges for Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, who was sworn in this week to replace Benjamin Netanyahu, who led the nation for about 12 years.