Israel strikes Gaza targets after incendiary balloon attacks

• Israel and Gaza exchange fire after incendiary balloon attacks.
• Palestinian Ministry of Health reports at least 28 injuries from Israeli live fire.
• The group responsible for balloon attacks goes by the name Ahfad Al-Nasser.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes on what they referred to as Hamas targets in Gaza.

This action followed the launch of incendiary balloons towards Israel by militants in Gaza, marking the first such incident in over a year.

These hostilities ensued after more than a week of occasionally violent Palestinian protests along the fence that separates Gaza and Israel.

On that Friday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least 28 individuals on the Gaza side of the fence sustained injuries from live fire by Israeli forces.

These incendiary balloons are relatively simple devices, resembling helium balloons often used for children’s birthday celebrations, but they are attached to explosives or devices designed to ignite upon release.

The group responsible for these balloon attacks goes by the name Ahfad Al-Nasser, or the Descendants of al-Nasser, and they specialize in using balloons for attacks with attached explosives.

The balloon launches on Friday resulted in at least three fires in Israel, all of which were promptly extinguished.

In response, the IDF targeted what they claimed to be two Hamas military posts from which the balloons were launched, as well as another Hamas military post from which they alleged shots were fired at Israeli forces.

The Israeli military reported no injuries among the IDF forces.

The specific consequences of the Israeli airstrikes, conducted with the use of a drone and a tank, regarding casualties or injuries on the Gaza side were not immediately clear.