Incendiary balloon found in Givat Zeev near Jerusalem
By ANNA AHRONHEIMUpdated: OCTOBER 9, 2018 13:33Palestinians set a kite on fire to be thrown at the Israeli side during clashes at a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip, April 20, 2018(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / REUTERS)
Thousands of Palestinians marking 11 years since Israel imposed a blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip clashed with IDF troops Monday in the northern part of the enclave.Several boats also joined the protesters which took place near Zikim Beach south of Ashkelon, throwing stones and burning tires towards troops who responded with tear gas and crowd dispersal methods.In addition, one of the rioters infiltrated into Israel for a short period of time and was able to set fire to an abandoned military position near the fence. There were no casualties and only a camouflage tent was damaged, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.“The incident was observed and under control from start to finish and at no point did it get out of hand,” the military said adding that “IDF troops will continue to act to ensure the security of the residents of the area, in the face of various terrorist attempts, as they do all the time.”According to Gaza's Health Ministry 11 Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire during the protest. There were no casualties.On Saturday, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman ordered the reduction of the Gaza fishing zone from nine to six nautical miles following violent protests along the security fence with Israel on Friday.The reduction of the fishing area was done following a security assessment made with the IDF; Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu Rokon; and officials from the Shin Bet internal security services.Earlier in the day, the Israeli Navy detained a Palestinian boat which had exceeded the authorized fishing area near the shores of northern Gaza. Two Palestinian brothers identified as Safwat and Rifaat Zayid were said to have been arrested while fishing off the shores of al-Sudaniyya district in the northern Gaza Strip.In late September, Abu Rokon warned Gaza residents against cooperating with Hamas, threatening to reduce the fishing zone three miles if the “daily terror attacks continue.”Nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed and thousands others wounded since the outbreak of the Gaza border protests which began on March 30 and which call for an end of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians have also been launching incendiary aerial devices into southern Israel from the coastal enclave, burning more than 2,800 hectares of agricultural fields, forests and nature reserves.On Monday, an incendiary balloon with a cigarette and fuse attached to it was found in the backyard of a residential home in the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev north of Jerusalem. Police called to the scene collected evidence and sent the balloon to a laboratory for inspection.There were no casualties and no damage.Another incendiary balloon was found in a backyard in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood by four children in July.Incendiary balloons in the West Bank are believed to be launched from nearby Palestinian towns and villages.The rare finding of an incendiary balloon occurred in the parking lot of Jerusalem’s Malha Mall two weeks ago, and the next day another was found in Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim in Gush Etzion.Another incendiary balloon was found by four children in a backyard in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood.No damage or injuries occurred in any of the cases.Police have stressed that anyone who finds suspicious objects such as incendiary balloons should report it to the authorities and allow sappers to handle the devices, which may contain dangerous explosive or incendiary material.
