Militant Palestinians in the Gaza Strip again fired rockets into the Israeli border area on Sunday night. Israel’s army said tanks had responded by attacking several posts from Hamas, the coastal strip. There had been no victims by the rocket fire, it was said.

Hours before, several Palestinians had been killed in mass protests in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli occupation. Tens of thousands followed a call from Hamas to re-demonstrate on the anniversary of the massive wave of protests. Since the first „Great March of Returnees“ on March 30, 2018, at least 258 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers had been killed in the weekly protests.

The most recent confrontations take place shortly before Israel’s parliamentary elections on 9 April. Hardliner and longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for another term.

Despite the rekindled violence, Israel has reopened its border crossings to the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The Eres transition for people and the Kerem Shalom transition for goods are back in operation since morning, a spokeswoman for the Israel Defense Department said. Israel had closed the crossings last Monday after rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.