The Israel Air Force struck Hamas terror targets in northern Gaza overnight Wednesday into Thursday, in retaliation for a rocket that was fired on Tuesday from the enclave, and which landed in the Mediterranean Sea near Ashdod.
The air strikes were also carried out in response to the continued terror attacks with explosive (Molotov cocktail) balloons and arson balloons launched by terrorists from the enclave into Israeli territory earlier in the day. The attacks fired from Gaza on Wednesday caused large fires in southern Israel.
Two of the fires were set in the Eshkol Regional Council district on the eve of Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day as the result of firebombs (Molotov cocktails) attached to terror balloons launched from Gaza.
The firebombs landed in a forest in one of the towns in Eshkol, setting it ablaze. Numerous firefighter teams from the KKL-JNF, the Regional Brigade and the nearby communities arrived at the scene to fight the flames.
A second blaze broke out within a short time in another area of the district under similar circumstances, but was extinguished shortly after.
“We hold Hamas responsible,” the IDF said in a statement.