Israeli Military Conducts Airstrikes On Gaza

The Israeli military conducted an airstrike on Gaza on Friday in response to violence that erupted during a border rally, resulting in multiple Palestinian injuries, according to health officials. This marked the first airstrike since early July when Israel retaliated against rocket fire from Gaza following a deadly Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank, the deadliest in years. The Israeli army stated that the airstrike targeted "a military post belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the northern Gaza Strip." It reportedly hit an area where Palestinians had gathered earlier in the day, near the permanently closed Karni crossing. A Palestinian security source confirmed that Israel "bombed a resistance observation post east of Gaza City" but requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to the media. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries resulting from the airstrike. Earlier on Friday, at the border rally, an AFP journalist observed Palestinians throwing rocks and explosives at Israeli forces across the frontier, resulting in two demonstrators sustaining gunshot wounds. Thick black smoke enveloped the area as Palestinians set tires on fire. In total, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that twelve Gazans were wounded at various border rallies. The Israeli military stated that "several explosive devices and grenades" were hurled at soldiers, but none of them were injured. This airstrike came just days after an explosion during a border rally on Wednesday claimed the lives of at least five Gazans. A witness, speaking on the condition of anonymity, suggested that a bomb, possibly a hand grenade, detonated while being carried by a protester. Hamas, an Islamist militant group, took control of Gaza in 2007, leading to Israel's imposition of a crippling blockade. The region has witnessed several conflicts between Gaza-based militants and Israel in recent years, with the most recent being a five-day exchange of fire in May that resulted in the deaths of at least 34 Palestinians and one Israeli.