Gazan said hit by Israeli gunfire amid rash of arson attacks

A young Palestinian was hit by Israeli gunfire in the border region between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Health Ministry, said on Tuesday.

He said the Palestinian was east of Gaza City when he was shot, but did not mention his name or what he was doing in the border region.

The IDF said it was investigating reports of the Palestinian being shot.

The shooting came as a tense calm along the border region threatened to explode again over the launch of incendiary devices over the border.

On Tuesday, firefighters battled 15 blazes in southern Israel sparked by flaming balloons and kites emanating from Gaza, a spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Services Southern District said.

The fires broke out at the agriculture communities of Nir Am, Tlamim, Erez, Holit, Shokeda, and Kissufim among other places, the spokesman said.

For the past few months, some young Palestinians in Gaza have been launching incendiary kites and balloons into southern Israel, incurring millions of dollars in damage to farmlands.

On Monday, the Police said a “suspicious” balloon was found in Beer Sheva, but did not say if it had come from Gaza.

A picture released by police showed a cluster of 4 balloons with a green string attached to it.

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.