Israeli airforce fighters struck a series of targets in Gaza, on Saturday night, in retaliation for a bomb detonated near the border the same day, reports the Israeli military spokesperson.
In a series of posts to their official twitter account, military officials claim to have targeted Hamas outposts in the central Gaza Strip.
‘In response to the explosive device that went off adjacent to the security fence earlier today, IAF fighter jets targeted a Hamas terror target, in the central Gaza Strip,’ the statement reads, according to the PNN.
‘The IDF will continue to operate for the safety of Israeli civilians, by all means at its disposal. The Hamas terror organization is held accountable for all occurrences in and from the Gaza Strip.’
In an official statement, Hamas officials condemned Saturday night’s attacks.
‘Hamas condemns the Israeli attacks on Gaza and blames the occupation government for any escalation resulted of its continuous violations,’ the statement reads.
The bomb, which was reportedly detonated near the Israeli/Gaza border, did not result in any casualties or damage to the partition wall separating Gaza from Israel, reported Haaretz.
The detonation is the fifth in the last three months, according to the Jerusalem Post.
On Thursday, a blast was detonated near the fence, reportedly targeting Israeli officers on the perimeter. In retaliation, Israeli forces stationed near the border launched tank shells towards Gaza, destroying a Hamas outpost.
No casualties were reported.
Tensions in Gaza have simmered in recent weeks.
Last week, a bomb was detonated during the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah sparking a public row between Hamas and the Palestinian Presidency who held Hamas responsible for the attacks.
Tensions cooled between the two Palestinian parties later in the week, though, when a meeting between Hamdallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh concluded that Israel and its ‘collaborators’ were responsible.
In February, the Gaza Strip suffered the largest airstrike raid since the conclusion of Operation Protective Edge in 2014. 18 Hamas targets were leveled in the assault, which was billed as a retaliation for a bomb denotation near the border that injured four Israeli soldiers, two of whom sustained serious injuries.
