Israel says it struck Hamas posts in Gaza after shots fired

Israeli forces have shelled Palestinian positions in the besieged Gaza Strip in what it said was in response to gunfire from the enclave.

In a statement, the Israeli military said on Tuesday it struck a post belonging to Hamas – the group that governs the enclave – after shots were fired earlier in the day.

BREAKING: Shots were fired at IDF troops guarding Israel’s border with Gaza.

In response, an IDF tank struck a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/xYaF3Mlyad

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 22, 2019

Hamas said two of its military wing’s observation posts had been hit, near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

There were no reports of injuries.

A fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, brokered by Egypt, has brought relative calm to the enclave in recent weeks.

The deal was designed to restore calm and end two days of Israeli aerial attacks on Gaza which began after Palestinian factions fired rockets at Israel in retaliation to an undercover Israeli operation that killed seven people in Gaza.

At least 14 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in those two days of violence.

Gaza, home to more than two million people, has been under a crippling Israeli and Egyptian-imposed blockade for 11 years that has severely restricted the movement of Palestinians.

The siege has devastated the local economy, severely restricting the entry of food and access to basic services.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies