Israeli army strikes Gaza after days of increased upheaval
Israel carried out a drone strike in Gaza on Saturday following clashes along Israel's frontier with the besieged strip that left three Palestinians injured, according to official Palestinian and Israeli sources.
No casualties were reported in the drone strike, which was carried out in the early evening. The aerial attack comes against a backdrop of almost daily violence since 13 September on either side of the separation barrier between Israel and Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesperson said the strike targeted a Hamas movement "military post" near clashes along the barrier. Hamas governs the Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian security source told AFP news agency that "an Israeli device had targeted a surveillance site belonging to Hamas east of Gaza City".
Gazans say the recent demonstrations along the Israel-Gaza barrier are to protest issues including the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and Jewish visits to the Al Aqsa mosque compound.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
The chief of the Hamas group, Ismail Haniyeh, who currently resides between Qatar and Turkey, praised actions by demonstrators and extended "a greeting of pride and gratitude to all the revolutionary youth" along the border in a televised statement on Saturday.
According to the Israeli military, protesters have also launched incendiary balloons into Israeli territory, starting fires in areas near the separation fence.
On Friday, the health ministry said 31 Palestinians had been wounded during the confrontations, which came days after a protester was fatally shot by troops.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
