Palestinian resisters in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip are making make use of winds coming from the Mediterranean to create a tactical advantage, as the winds carry the elongated makeshift blimps eastward towards Israeli territory. At least one such device has been successfully disarmed by Israeli sappers in the Shaar Hanegev region of southern Israel, reports the Times of Israel.
The Israeli Defense Force, saying these "sex bombs" pose a serious threat to residents, had to use drones to fire at extremist camps where the flying objects were being prepared, Indian news website Latestly.com reports.
"Explosive kites and balloons are not a children's toy. They are a deadly weapon meant to kill our children. We must stop shooting near the target and move to shoot directly at it," said Naftali Bennett, the Education Minister of Israel at the weekly Bayit Yehudi Knesset faction meeting, the Times of Israel reported.
"A balloon is an innocent and nice thing, but if it is used for fighting it becomes a legitimate military target," Avichai Mandelblit, the Attorney General of Israel, added.
The problem with the incendiary balloons is that the IDF does not have any effective way to eliminate them — which is probably why Palestinians have started using them. When drones and other high-tech solutions failed to stop the arsons, the IDF shifted its attention towards Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. After Israeli planes attacked military positions in Gaza, Hamas retaliated with some 45 rockets and mortar rounds shot at Israeli territory Wednesday, the Times of Israel reported.