Several small protests were noted Tuesday on the Israel-Gaza Strip border as the Palestinians marked Naksa Day, which mourns the Arab defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the coastal enclave had originally called for a mass rush of the Israeli border, but early on Tuesday morning its leaders called on Gazans to "save their energy" for Friday, the last Friday of the Ramadan holiday, which this year coincided with Iran Quds (Jerusalem) Day.
Defense officials said that the move is an attempt by Hamas to show Iran that the Islamist group serves Tehran's interest, in a bid to increase Iran's financial support of it.
Hamas rival in Gaza, Islamic Jihad, does the majority of Iran's bidding in the Strip. For example, the defense establishment believes that Iran had ordered Islamic Jihad to carry out the mortar salvo on Israel last week, during which over 130 projectiles were fired at border-adjacent communities.
Hamas' decision also appears to stem from its own distress, as all signs are pointing to it rapidly losing the support of Gaza's residents.
Still, Israeli defense officials believe that despite Hamas' strategic distress, provoking a security escalation opposite Israel does not serve its interest at this time. This distress may also drive its leaders to agree to compromises they would otherwise buck against.
Last week's mortar barrage, however, undermined the understandings reached between Israel and Hamas following Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and the military is ready for any rapid escalation in the Gaza sector.
Meanwhile, Palestinian kite terrorism continued to rage Tuesday, as 15 fires were sparked by incendiary kites sent over the Israel-Gaza border.
Over 350 fires have been sparked in Israeli communities near the border since the Palestinians launched their incendiary kites campaign in late April, reducing some 7,000 acres of forest and agricultural land into ash and causing tens of millions of shekels in damage.
The massive damage to the area's nature reserves has prompted the Jewish National Fund to announced plans to pursue legal action against Hamas in international courts.
"The international community cannot allow Hamas to get away with its heinous crimes, not only against Israel but also against the environment. Hamas has proven that it is indifferent not only to human life but also to nature's resources," JNF Director Daniel Atar said.
Last month, Israeli farmers whose lands have been devastated by these fires announced plans to seek International Criminal Court action against Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar over the damage caused by kite terrorism.
