“Balloon Terror” on the Gaza Strip
In addition to the challenges of COVID-19, Israeli citizens are now in even more danger, as terrorists in the Gaza strip begin renewed attacks on surrounding cities. For the past week, Hamas terrorists have been raining hellfire on Israeli towns near the Gaza strip, by launching balloons armed with propane tanks and explosives, starting over 60 fires and burning over 150 acres of land. Additionally, Hamas and the IDF have exchanged rockets recently, and the former has threatened to increase the regularity of their rocket fire. This is only adding to the already growing tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
The rise in tension began with an attempted infiltration of Syrian terrorists into Israel across the southern border early last week, and has most recently escalated with the renewing of incendiary balloons and explosives attacks from the Gaza strip, missiles being fired into the Mediterranean Sea as a warning from Hamas to Israel, shots fired at civilian Israeli workers from across the border of the southern Gaza Strip, and a missile fired at Sderot that was intercepted by the Iron Dome. In response to these acts of aggression, Israeli mayors of the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip released a statement: “Our daily lives are again and again interrupted, by ear-ringing explosions, by fires, and by rocket launches on a constant and ongoing basis. All of this, during a medical and economic crisis, which has also left its marks on our region.”
Additionally, Israel announced Monday that it was closing the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing into Gaza and certain fishing zones in response to the fires and attacks, and Netanyahu announced that “I want to say to all of Iran’s forces, including in Gaza, there will be a very heavy price for the balloon terror...We will not suffer this, we will act and exact a heavy price. We have done it in the past and we will do it now.” In the past, Israel has launched air strikes against suspected balloon launchers, but given that the IDF is already dealing with threats on its northern and southern borders, they seem to be wary of escalating violence in the area any further. As of now, there have been no physical injuries as a result of the terrorist attacks.