Israeli Airstrikes on Hamas-Linked Targets in Gaza

Israel conducted several recent airstrikes targeting Hamas-linked sites in various parts of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, two Palestinian teenage protesters were killed at the Gaza-Israel border. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed on Saturday, July 13, in a statement on social media that the army bombed Hamas positions in response to the 'escalation of terrorist activities' by Palestinians from Gaza. The spokesperson mentioned the launching of incendiary kites towards southern Israel during Friday's Palestinian protests and multiple rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel. Israel claims that from the early hours of Saturday until noon that day, at least 31 rockets were fired by armed Palestinian groups towards southern Israel. The Israeli military also stated that on Saturday, they targeted two 'terrorist tunnels' in Gaza. The Israeli army issued warnings in Arabic through social media to Palestinians to stay away from 'the vicinity of buildings and infrastructure of terrorist elements' as Israeli airstrikes would continue. Meanwhile, numerous Israeli media reported that the Iron Dome missile defense systems were activated to counter rockets fired from Gaza, disrupting life in the border town of Sderot and surrounding areas, leading to a state of emergency. However, Palestinians have provided a different narrative of the events. Palestinian organizations claim that the Israeli army launched airstrikes on Gaza out of anger following the injury of an Israeli officer in a mine explosion at the Gaza-Israel border during Friday's events, and that Palestinian rockets were fired in response to Israeli airstrikes. Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesperson for Hamas, stated on Saturday in Gaza that the movement has managed to create a 'balance of power' by firing rockets. According to this spokesperson, if Israel continues its actions, 'resistance' groups will respond accordingly, but he stated that the rocket attacks would 'force Israel to stop its airstrikes on Gaza.' Thousands of Palestinians gathered on Friday, July 22, for the hundredth day of protests known as 'Return,' once again at several points along the Gaza-Israel border; these protests also turned violent, and during them, according to Reuters, a 15-year-old Palestinian named Othman Halath was killed. Additionally, according to Gaza hospital sources, another teenager from Khan Younis died among about 250 Palestinians injured in the border protests, raising the death toll to two. According to Reuters, the Israeli army spokesperson emphasized that Palestinians threw incendiary bombs at Israeli soldiers at the border, and the army 'responded to the terrorists.' Palestinians have been conducting 'Return' protests at the Gaza-Israel borders for three and a half months, which particularly resulted in many casualties in May, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment and the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem. Gaza hospital sources claim that with the addition of Friday's casualties, the total death toll from these protests has reached 139, with the number of injured exceeding 15,000.