Arson terrorism returns to haunt south
Gaza-based terrorists have returned to launching arson attacks on Israel’s south in recent days, causing fires in areas surrounding the Gaza Strip.
Masked members of Hamas terrorist organization preparing helium balloons with incendiary material to be flown into Israel aiming to cause casualties and damages, following days of escalating violence in the West Bank. Gaza, May 8, 2021. Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
After months of relative quiet, terrorists in the Gaza Strip have relaunched their campaign to send balloons tied to flammable materials and explosive charges into communities in the vicinity of the Strip.
The arson attacks have ignited fires in open areas. No one was injured in the attacks but the fires caused damage to fields.
Firefighting teams worked on Saturday to extinguish fires at 10 locations caused by the incendiary balloons.
Gadi Yarkoni, head of the Eshkol Regional Council near Gaza, stated Saturday that “this is the third day in a row that our dedicated security personnel have been running around the area to extinguish fires as a result of incendiary balloons.”
“This is our home, nature and livelihood and everything is being done to protect them. We did our part by effectively preparing for the resumption of fire terrorism. Now the state must do its duty – act resolutely to calm the area and change the security reality in the region,” he demanded.
In previous summers, Hamas launched a campaign of arson terrorism against the Jewish state which set hundreds of fires and burned tens of thousands of acres of land, destroying nature preserves and natural habitats and causing millions of dollars of damage to Israeli farms.
Environmental experts say it will take at least 15 years to rehabilitate the vegetation and wildlife that have been destroyed.
