OCCUPIED Jerusalem — Israeli warplanes blasted Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday in a fresh round of retaliation.

An Israeli tank fired at a Hamas position Tuesday after Gazans allegedly broke through the border fence and torched an unmanned military position.

There were no reports of casualties from Wednesday's strikes, one of which set a boat alight in the Gaza City fishing port.

Israeli aircraft destroyed a boat moored in Gaza city early on Wednesday morning, local residents said. There were no reports of casualties.

Gaza residents said the vessel that was hit by missiles was set ablaze. They said it was due to sail to meet a flotilla of boats hoping to reach Gaza. Israel maintains a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and has in the past stopped other boats from reaching it shores.

Tensions between Israel and Gaza have spiraled since March 30, when Palestinians began protesting for the right to return to the homes their families fled or were expelled from in 1948, during the war surrounding the creation of Israel.

A total of at least 118 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since then, according to authorities in Gaza.

No Israelis have been killed during that time.

The protests peaked on May 14, the day the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem. Tens of thousands protested on the Gaza border that day, with 62 killed by Israeli gunfire.

Two million Palestinians live in the narrow strip, most descendants of refugees who fled or were driven out of homes during fighting between Jewish and Arab forces at the time Israel was founded. — Agencies