Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City May 17, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

i24 News – Israel and Hamas are once again heading towards a new confrontation in Gaza, as the militant group encourages further violent protests along its border, a security official said on Monday.

The official told Channel 12 that Hamas is seeking to increase the pressure on Israel by renewing both the protests on the Gaza border and the launching of incendiary balloons from the Strip.

Further protests are reportedly planned to take place Wednesday.

With the resumption of the border protests, Israel is likely to react more strongly to force Gazans away from the security fence, with the likely result of more casualties on the Palestinian side, to which Hamas will want to respond.

The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, therefore speculated that another war between Israel and armed groups in Gaza might be “inevitable.”

Hamas “may be wrong” in thinking it can still avoid all-out war, the official said.

The mood among Israeli decision makers is tense following the critical wounding of an Israeli Border Police officer during clashes on Saturday.

Israel is trying to remain focused on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s upcoming meetings with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, and next week with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Channel 12 reported.