GAZA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army's war jets on Tuesday night struck military facilities belonging to the Islamic Hamas movement west of Rafah, a town in southern Gaza Strip, wounding at least two people, medics and security officials said.
At least two people were injured by Israeli missile shrapnel and they were evacuated to a nearby hospital in the town for medical treatment, medical sources said.
Immediately after the Israeli airstrikes on Hamas, Gaza militants fired a barrage of mortar shells into Israel.
An Israeli army spokesman said that Israeli air fighters targeted a Hamas military base in Rafah in retaliation for the launch of flaming balloons and kites at Israel.
Launching kites and balloons is part of the Palestinian protest activity "The Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege" which started in the Gaza Strip on March 30.
Israeli drones and F16 war planes have repeatedly targeted military facilities that belong to the armed wing of Hamas west of Rafah, the security officials in Gaza said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, a health ministry spokesman in Gaza, told reporters that 130 people have been killed and about 14,000 injured since March 30. Around half of the victims were shot by live ammunition, many of whom are still in a critical condition.
