GAZA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army warplanes attacked on Saturday night military facilities and posts that belong to the Hamas movement's armed wing in the Gaza Strip, in response to earlier drone attack in Israel, security officials said.

Local media reports and eyewitnesses said that Israeli warplanes hovered over the Gaza Strip, and then carried out the airstrike.

Heavy explosions were heard in northern and central Gaza Strip. Flames and black smoke were seen, the eyewitnesses said.

Security officials said that severe damage was caused to the two facilities that were targeted by air-to-ground missiles.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that the airstrike was a response to an earlier attack by a homemade drone into southern Israel.

The drone fired at least one missile at an Israeli army vehicle near the fence of the borders with Gaza, and damaged it, said Israeli media reports. No injuries were reported.

Tension between Israel and Hamas is mounting just 10 days before the parliamentary elections in Israel on Sept. 17, the second in less than a year.

On Friday, two Palestinian teenagers were killed and 45 were shot by Israeli soldiers' gunfire during the weekly anti-Israel protests, better known as the "Great March of Return." Enditem

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