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JERUSALEM, July 15 (Xinhua) — Israel deployed Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries in central Israel on Sunday amid escalating tension with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
“In accordance with the situation assessment, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reinforced its Iron Dome batteries in the area of Gush Dan in central and southern Israel,” a military spokesperson said in a statement.
Gush Dan is the region where Tel Aviv and other major cities are located.
In addition, a “limited number” of reserve soldiers were summoned to reinforce the Aerial Defense Command, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson warned that the military is “prepared for a wide variety of scenarios” in case the violence between Israeli forces and Gaza militants further escalates.
During the weekend, Israel struck the besieged Palestinian enclave with the heaviest air attack since its military campaign in Gaza in 2014, killing two teenagers.
At the same time, Gaza militants launched at least 100 projectiles towards southern Israel, causing no casualties but injuring three people.
Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian organization that runs Gaza, and the Gaza-based Islamic Jihad said on Saturday that a cease-fire was achieved.
On Sunday morning, the general situation remained calm except for several helium-filled balloons that were sent from Gaza into Israel, setting fire to fields in the south.
Israeli military aircraft fired towards the launchers, according to the military.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to retaliate for the incendiary balloons and kites. “We are not prepared to accept any attacks against us and we will respond appropriately,” he told his cabinet meeting.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told local media that the protest in Gaza will continue until Israel lifts the blockade it has imposed on the enclave since 2007.
The escalation came amid weekly rallies near the fence separating between Israel and the Palestinian enclave. Israel has killed at least 133 Palestinians since the so-called “Great March of Return” protest began on March 30, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
Gaza militants have sent burning kites and helium balloons, which caused fire in southern Israel’s arid farmlands. At least 32,000 dunams (32 square km) of farmland and forest have been affected.

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