Israel bombs Gaza port, Hamas tunnel

Jerusalem, May 23 (IANS) Israeli war planes on Wednesday bombed several parts of the Gaza Strip, including a port and a tunnel used by the Hamas, according to military sources.

The attacks were in response to an incident on Tuesday in which several Palestinians from Gaza crossed the border wall and set sniper posts on fire, Efe news quoted the Israeli Army as saying in a statement.

"A short while ago, Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft struck underground Hamas terror infrastructure in northern Gaza as well as two additional military targets that belong to the terror organization's naval force," the Israel Defence Forces tweeted.

According to radio station Kan, at least two fishing boats were destroyed in the airstrikes.

Tensions along the border have been increasing since March 30, with the start of protests known as the "Great March of Return" along the security fence that separates Gaza from Israel.

The most violent day of the protests was May 14 when the US inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem, despite a lack of international consensus.

That day also marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of Israel, signifying 70 years of Palestinian exile.

So far, 114 Palestinians have been killed and more than 13,000 wounded by Israeli gunfire in recent violence.