The units that launch explosive and incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip have warned that they will start launching balloons carrying tear gas grenades in the coming days, according to Ynet.Video released by the units show a tear gas grenade with a fuse that eventually causes the grenade to release large amounts of the gas.An explosive balloon detonated next to a home in the kibbutz of Kfar Aza on Monday evening, as explosive balloons continued to enter southern Israel, according to Ynet. No injuries or damage were reported in the incident. Soon afterwards, a road near Nahal Oz in southern Israel was closed due to explosive balloons.
Eight explosive balloons were reportedly seen in Israel on Monday.
Three balloons were reported by the Eshkol Regional Council. One detonated in the air and the other two were handled by security forces; no damage or injuries were reported. A fourth balloon was found in a field in the Merhavim Regional Council and was handled by a police sapper.
Multiple balloons were found near Sderot and Kiryat Gat, according to Israel Police. Police sappers handled the incidents. The incident next to Kiryat Gat led to a road being closed while the balloon was handled.
An explosive balloon landed near train tracks near the southern city of Netivot, forcing the train traffic in the area to stop for a short time, according to Ynet.
The Israel Police continues to stress that all cases in which a suspicious object is spotted should be reported to by calling 100.
"It is forbidden to touch the object, and curious people should be distanced [from the scene] until Israel Police officers arrive to the scene," said the police in a statement. "Police sappers are authorized to handle suspicious objects and have professional protection equipment that is intended for this."The security coordinator for the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Ziv Welch, used a drone to capture video of the charge on a balloon found in Netiv Ha'Asarah exploding on Sunday, according to a statement by the regional council.
"The method of capturing video of the balloon explosions allows [us] to imagine what would happen if the balloons had landed in a kindergarten, God forbid," said Itamar Revivo, head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. "Every day, we are dealing with the continuation of rocket fire [and] the launching of explosive balloons meant to lure children. It is time to take immediate and decisive action to create quiet in communities bordering the Gaza Strip!"תיעוד: רגע הפיצוץ של בלון נפץ שנחת הבוקר באזור נתיב העשרה@Itsik_zuarets (צילום: ביטחון נתיב העשרה) pic.twitter.com/gIbducOgg2
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) February 2, 2020
Balloons carrying a grenade landed in the Palestinian village of Majd in the southern area of the Har Hebron Regional Council on Sunday, Palestinian sources reported to Ynet. The grenade didn't detonate and Palestinian police took care of the situation. The village is located 45 kilometers from the Gaza Strip and the balloons are believed to have been launched from Gaza.Over 11 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel in the past week and a half; dozens of explosive balloons have been launched into Israel from Gaza and the West Bank.