Palestinians in the Gaza Strip launch balloons loaded with flammable material toward Israel. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.

i24 News – Hamas agreed on Tuesday to stop launching incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel following talks with Egypt, Palestinian media Al-Ayyam reported.

The launching of incendiary balloons set off fires in southern Israel on Monday and provoked retaliation from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), hitting several Hamas targets on Monday evening.

The IDF said in a statement that “fighter jets struck a Hamas weapons manufacturing site in Khan Yunis as well as a terrorist tunnel entrance in Jabalia.”

“A Hamas underground rocket launch site that is located adjacent to civilian homes and a school in Shejaiya was also struck,” the IDF added. Shejaiya is located east of Gaza City.

Later that night, the IDF said, Hamas fired machine guns into Israeli territory, leading Israeli warplanes to attack a tunnel entrance in Khan Younis.

Earlier on Monday, Israel Fire and Rescue Services investigators determined that arson balloons launched from the Gaza Strip caused at least nine fires that broke out in southern Israel.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all actions taken toward its territory.

Israel and Hamas fought for 11 days in May with the Gaza-based terrorist organization firing thousands of rockets at Israeli territory and Israel responding with targeted airstrikes in the Palestinian coastal enclave.

The conflict ended with an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire that has repeatedly been challenged since it took effect.