Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israeli warplanes pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday in a new flare-up of hostilities that saw dozens of rockets and mortar shells fired from the Palestinian enclave, the army said.
A military spokesman said all targets belonged to Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and the strikes were more intense than in previous sorties.
"We struck at a greater intensity, with the intended message for Hamas to understand that we will not allow this situation to continue," spokesman Jonathan Conricus told reporters.
The latest spike in tensions follows weeks of deadly protests and clashes along the Gaza-Israel border as well as the worst military escalation last month since a 2014 war.
It comes as US President Donald Trump's special envoy Jason Greenblatt and adviser Jared Kushner visit the region to discuss issues including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Israeli planes initially targeted three Hamas military positions overnight in Gaza in response to kites and balloons carrying incendiary and explosive devices launched into Israel from the Palestinian territory, the army said. READ MORE
