What Happened
Israel’s military said it struck a Hamas weapons factory after militant incendiary balloons caused a series of small fires in southern Israel, The Times of Israel reported July 2. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza.

Why It Matters
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s new government is maintaining a harder line on Palestinian provocations by striking targets after relatively low-profile harassment attacks. Further harassment of Israeli targets is likely, as are quicker Israeli retaliations, as the two sides tussle over international aid Gaza needs to rebuild after the May war. Enough back-and-forth fighting could cause another major war.

Background
Aid negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been held up over the former’s push for stricter controls to ensure new Gaza funding isn’t used for military purposes. Bennett was sworn in as Israel’s new prime minister on June 13, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year rule. Bennett’s “change” coalition government officially took office the following day.