TEL AVIV, June 18. /TASS/. A jet fighter of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck military compounds and a missile launch system of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday in retaliation to the launch of balloons with flammable materials and explosives attached to them which were meant to cause fires, the IDF press service reported.

"In the past 24 hours, balloons with explosives and burning fuel attached to them were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel to start fires. In response, a fighter jet of the Israel Defense Forces carried out a strike on military compounds and a missile launch system belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the statement reads. The Israeli military have been targeting facilities in Gaza for the second day in a row to respond to the incendiary balloon attacks.

The press service added, "the head of the General Staff assessed the situation on Thursday evening and gave instructions to boost readiness of the Israel Defense Forces to react to different scenarios, including resumption of hostilities due to continuing terrorist actions coming from the Gaza Strip." "The army continues to carry out strikes on military facilities and infrastructure of the Hamas terrorist organization which bears full responsibility for the events in the Gaza Strip," the press service stressed.

The Israeli attack in Gaza on Thursday became the first military move since the ceasefire between Israel and radicals in the Palestinian enclave came into force. The sides exchanged missile fire for 11 days starting on May 10 that resulted in 256 deaths in Gaza, while around 2,000 people were injured.