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Israeli airstrikes on Saturday hit a militant site for the second time in two days, the Israeli army said.
This comes after Palestinian protesters threw stones and explosives at soldiers at the separation fence. However, there were no reports of casualties from the strikes in Gaza.
The Israeli military on Saturday shot three Palestinians wounding them, who were rallying at a separation fence along the Israeli frontier.
It’s a familiar tactic for Palestinians in Gaza protesting a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel with Egypt’s help. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent the ruling Hamas militant group from arming itself.
The incident was the latest one in a series of violent protests during last week that spiked the specter of an escalation for the first time since a brief round of conflict last May between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.
It comes just before the Sukkot festival in Israel next week, during which several jews are expected to visit Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. The compound, which is a home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is often a point for violence.
“Our rebellious youth are expressing their anger at the attempts at religious war being waged against our people in Jerusalem,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said.
According to the Israeli army on Saturday, it had targeted a post belonging to the Hamas rulers near the separation fence in eastern Gaza where dozens of Palestinians had staged protest.
Hamas which took control of Gaza in 2007 dubbed the protests as spontaneously organized by “rebellious youths” in response to Israeli provocations.
Israel and Hamas have fought four wars and engaged in several smaller battles since Hamas took over the territory.
(With AP inputs)
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