![GAZA, May 4, 2019 (Xinhua) -- The photo taken on May 4, 2019 shows an explosion during an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. The death toll on Saturday increased to four and more than 20 others were wounded during the ongoing Israeli army airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih/IANS) by .](https://archive.asianlite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1eb1e93c7853f6e0d69479dfddd457ec.jpg)
Hamas has threatened Israel, saying that it won’t hesitate to engage in a battle if the latter continues striking posts, facilities and other sites that belong to the Islamic movement in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement sent to Xinhua news agency on Friday, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that “the armed resistance (Hamas and other militant factions) won’t hesitate to engage in a battle with Israel if it keeps striking on the Gaza Strip”.
Tensions in the besieged coastal enclave have increased in the past 10 days, in which Israel carried out ground and air attacks on Hamas military posts and facilities all over Gaza.
Israeli army officials said that the daily attacks on Hamas posts in Gaza are in response to launching arson balloons and firing makeshift projectiles from the enclave into Israel.
“The response of the Palestinian armed resistance against the occupation’s (Israel) escalation and tightening its siege imposed on the Gaza Strip was direct,” Bahroum said, referring to the firing of around 12 projectiles into Israel on Thursday.
“The Israeli occupation, which continues its aggression on Gaza, tightens its siege, disturbs the populations’ lives and shells the resistance posts, should bear the results and pay the price.”
![GAZA, Jan. 15, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on Jan. 15, 2020 shows a fireball exploding during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City. Israeli warplanes carried out on Wednesday night air strikes against military positions in the Gaza Strip in response to earlier firing of rockets from the Hamas-ruled enclave into southern Israel, eyewitnesses and security sources said. (Photo by Mohammed Dahman/Xinhua/IANS) by .](https://archive.asianlite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/b4a484dce6ff9f32f03f9b65c4c128d7-1.jpg)
Israeli media reported that on Thursday night and into the Friday morning, militants launched around 12 projectiles from Gaza into southern Israel, causing damage to a house and wounding four people in Sderot city.
In response, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes that targeted Hamas militants’ posts and facilities in Gaza with no injuries reported.
Israel also banned the shipment of construction materials and fuel and did not permit around 3,000 Palestinians to fish off the Gaza coast.
Two days ago, a high-ranking Egyptian security intelligence delegation failed to convince Hamas and Israel into restoring calm in Gaza after Israel rejected Hamas’ demands to improve the enclave’s living conditions.
An Israeli army spokesman had earlier announced that Army Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi approved a plan of getting on alert in southern Israel for all possible scenarios.
![GAZA, Oct. 11, 2019 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to throw a stone at Israeli troops during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on Oct. 11, 2019. At least 49 Palestinians were injured on Friday afternoon during clashes between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel, a local official said. (Photo by Mohammed Dahman/Xinhua/IANS) by .](https://archive.asianlite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2b52410898107d40934eb3ed9c879340-1.jpg)
Meanwhile, the joint chamber of military operations for Palestinian factions’ armed wings said in a press statement that they “will not let the enemy (Israel) keep the illegal and unfair siege imposed on our people”.
In a press statement sent to Xinhua, the militants said that it is the right of the Palestinian people “to use all possible means of resistance to express their rejection to the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for 14 years”.