GAZA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel carried out five successive airstrikes Sunday on launchers of arson kites and balloons as well as military facilities in the Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported, medics and security officials said.
The security officials said that Israeli army drones fired two missiles at Palestinian young men in two separate incidents on Sunday as they were launching and releasing kites and balloons carrying fire bombs and Molotov cocktails in central Gaza Strip.
Later on Sunday, Israeli war jets targeted with three separate missiles a military facility that belongs to Hamas movement's militants in central Gaza Strip, also causing no injuries.
Earlier on Sunday morning, the Israeli army struck with a missile an empty car in eastern Gaza city with no injuries reported. The Israeli army said in a statement that the car belongs to the leader of the kites and balloons launchers.
On Saturday, two kites and balloons launchers were moderately injured after they were targeted by a missile fired from an Israeli army drone east of al-Bureij refugee camp close to the border with Israel.
Over the past four days, Palestinian security officials in Gaza said that the Israeli army carried out around seven airstrikes targeting activists who fly and release arson kites and balloons that caused huge fires into agricultural fields in southern Israel.
Flying and releasing kites and balloons are part of an activity of the rallies and protests the Palestinians call "the Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege," which started in the Gaza Strip on March 30.
Ashraf al-Qedra, the health ministry spokesman in Gaza told reporters that the death toll since March 30 has grown up to 128 killed and around 14,000 injured; around half of them were shot by live ammunition and many of them are still in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the highest commission said in an emailed press statement that the Israeli army is trying to militarize the protests and rallies that are fully popular and peaceful.
The statement condemned targeting young Palestinians who launch kites and balloons that are made in the frame of the peaceful and popular activities of the march.
The group accused Israel of justifying the use of excessive force against the Palestinian activists, adding that "Israel is trying to show those activists as militants to prepare for committing war crimes against them."
