Hamas warns against tightening blockade on Gaza  

Tightening the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip will lead Palestinians to rise up against the Israeli occupation, a Hamas official warned yesterday.

“The occupation must not circumvent the results of the recent battle on Gaza,” the group’s spokesperson, Abdelatif Al-Qanou, told local media, adding that the Palestinians would not tolerate what he described as the “Israeli reluctance to rebuild the Strip and lift its siege.”

Israel’s Hadashot reported earlier that three fires had broken out in the Eshkol Regional Council, adding that they were caused by “incendiary balloons launched from Gaza.”

The site later added that the number of fires had risen to four.

READ: Bennett vows to return Israeli citizens, bodies held by Hamas in Gaza 

Major disagreements still prevail in the indirect Egyptian brokered talks that have been taking place between Hamas and the Israeli occupation authorities, which include terms for a prisoner exchange and Gaza’s access to urgently needed funds for reconstruction following Israel’s brutal bombing campaign in May.

Near 260 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed in the bombardment in May. An Egyptian brokered ceasefire came into effect on 21 May, however since then Israel has tightened the siege on Gaza and stopped Qatari aid from entering.

Destruction in Gaza due to the latest Israeli offensive – Infographic by Palestinian Information Ministry