Incendiary balloons found near Gaza border communities early Saturday.
A ROCKET IS fired toward Israel from the southern Gaza Strip in February.
(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / REUTERS)
A suspicious object attached to a set of balloons was found in an agricultural area within the Eshkol region, which was suspected to have come from the Gaza Strip.
“A police sapper and security personnel are at the scene to neutralize the item,” according toa statement from the Eshkol Regional Council.
In addition, an explosion was heard in Netivot late Friday. An inspection by a sapper who arrived at the scene revealed that it was an explosive item which arrived via a balloon and exploded on the spot. The location of the explosion is currently under investigation.
In similar news, it was reported in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, widely considered a pro-Hezbollah and pro-March 8th alliance (pro-Syrian government) outlet, that Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip had informed the Egyptian mediator that the period of calm on the border with Israel would come to an end soon.
The report came amid rising tensions between Israel and Hamas following a string of incendiary balloon launching and Israeli reprisal attacks in recent days.
IDF fighter jets attacked a Hamas underground infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip late Thursday, the IDF Spokesperson confirmed. The attack was in response to several incendiary balloon launches from Gaza into Israeli territory on that day.
Earlier on Thursday, after nearly six months without incendiary balloons, five fires broke out in the Gaza border communities. At least three of them were caused by incendiary balloons.
Furthermore, a balloon carrying an explosive device was found in the Arad industrial zone.
“The State of Israel will not accept any violation of sovereignty and harm to the residents of the south,” said Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday.
“In Gaza, it should be understood that there is no other solution – only returning our boys home and peace will lead to economic growth in the Gaza Strip. If the terrorist organizations have not yet understood: Whoever puts Israel to the test will be severely harmed,” added Gantz.
This is the third time this week that there has been an escalation between Israel and Gaza. Overnight Sunday, the IDF attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after the terrorist organization fired rockets into Israeli territory.
