ISRAEL launched missiles on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, breaking a fragile ceasefire just two days after the new government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was sworn in.

The aerial bombardment continued until the early hours of this morning with Tel Aviv insisting it was responding to incendiary balloons sent from the besieged enclave into southern Israel.

A statement from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said it had struck Hamas targets, warning that it was “ready for all scenarios, including renewed fighting in the face of continued terrorist acts emanating from Gaza.”

According to the WAFA news agency Israeli warplanes targeted two sites. The Ma’en area south of Khan Younis city was struck by two missiles. Another hit a target south of Gaza City.

No casualties were reported in the first missile strikes since a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 21 between Israel and Gaza’s ruling party, Hamas.

Such an attack had been anticipated by the Palestinian resistance forces which warned on Monday that Israel was preparing to strike Gaza following the provocative March of the Flags which took place on Tuesday evening.

It saw far-right Israeli settlers march through Palestinian areas in Jerusalem, once again chanting: “Death to Arabs” — actions that preceded Israel’s recent 11-day bombardment of Gaza in which more than 250 Palestinians were killed.

Speaking to the Morning Star from the Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp in southern Beirut, resident Abu Omar said the new Israeli government would not change anything for the Palestinian people.

“We expect nothing but more aggression,” he said. “The people [in government] may change but the policy remains the same.

“We can only rely on our people to change things and our resistance will continue until we are free.”

Hamas said that Palestinians would continue their “brave resistance and defend their rights and sacred sites” in Jerusalem.