Hamas and other terrorist factions say Israel is shirking its obligations to ease economic restrictions imposed on Gaza and have told an Egyptian mediator that they will soon end their ceasefire with the Jewish state as a consequence, Lebanese daily Al Akhbar reported Saturday.
The rise in tensions coincides with the next month's expiration of monthly cash payments provided to Hamas by Qatar.
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In an effort to ramp up pressure on Israel, Gaza-based terrorist groups on Saturday morning continued their recently renewed campaign of cross border arson by launching incendiary balloons across the Israel-Gaza border.
A suspicious object tied to a string of balloons was spotted in a field in the Eshkol Regional Council adjacent to the border, and bomb disposal experts were called to the scene to neutralize the object.
It was the third day in a row that incendiary balloons were launched from the Hamas-controlled enclave at Israeli territory.
Last week, a projectile was launched from Gaza and was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
On Thursday, incendiary balloons that landed in Israel ignited three fires in different locations near the Gaza border. Israel responded with an IDF airstrike, targeting underground infrastructure belonging to Hamas in northern Gaza.
Sources within Gaza's armed factions also told Al Akhbar that any Israeli attack in Gaza will be met with a response, ensuring that tensions will continue to escalate along the border in the coming days.
As stated, the recent developments appear tied to the looming cessation of Qatar's monthly injection of cash to Gaza, and Qatar's seeming unwillingness to renew its grant for a period of six more months. Qatar has transferred millions of dollars in cash to Gaza every month for the past two years.
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