Israel has warned that Iran is “playing with the lives” of Palestinians in Gaza following a fresh exchange of rocket fire between Israeli forces and Hamas.
The IDF announced on Saturday that it had targeted a Hamas post in Gaza after mortars were launched into Israel the previous day.
Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman told Israeli television the mortars were made in Iran and supplied to terrorist groups in Gaza.
In a statement, an IDF spokesperson said Iran was “acting to bring about a deterioration in the regional situation.
The statement added: "Iran is playing with the lives of Gaza residents and is likely to lead an escalation after years of security and calm. Hamas has full responsibility for the situation and its implications.”
No injuries resulted from the mortar attack, which hit the Negev region of Sha’ar Hanegev.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the strike came during a ceremony at a kibbutz marking the 24th birthday of Sergeant Oron Shaul, who was killed in Gaza in 2014 and whose remains have not been released by Hamas.
On Friday, around 2,000 Palestinians clashed with Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border, with further demonstrations in the West Bank. One demonstrator was reported to have died after being shot by troops, with several more injured.
There have been a series of protests since President Trump announced that the United States recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Iranian state-controlled media have blamed Israeli, American and British spies for inciting the anti-government demonstrations that have swept the country.
The Fars News Agency said foreign “spy agencies”were “stirring unrest and dissidence”.
The protests over the past three days were sparked by falling living standards, but swiftly became a display of opposition against the regime of leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened they will respond with an “iron fist”if unrest continues.
