Recently, there has been a troubling rise in incidents involving suspicious balloons being launched from numerous Palestinian villages throughout Judea and Samaria.
In some locations, this marks the first occurrence of such an event, heightening concerns for Israelis residing in these regions.
Residents have expressed their frustrations to Samaria Brigade commander Ariel Gonen, stating, “The launch of incendiary balloons is a direct threat to our security and to our daily lives, and we cannot accept a situation where there is no appropriate response. Action must be taken decisively against the relevant parties and a clear security response must be demanded. The security of Israelis must be at the top of the priorities. We expect to see clear steps that will ensure our safety and the safety of our children – before it is too late.”
Other locals have raised alarms about the potential hazards posed by the balloons, many of which seem to be linked to fire, posing risks of severe fires in both agricultural fields and residential areas. “Even if there is no explosive material in the balloons, they could ignite fields and harm Israelis. This threat must not be ignored.”
In response to these reports, the IDF issued a statement clarifying that the balloons in question are not incendiary devices, but rather floating lanterns released as part of Ramadan festivities. “In all the cases reported and checked so far, it has been found that these are floating lanterns launched for Ramadan. These are not incendiary balloons,” explained the IDF.
They also emphasized that security forces are taking all such reports seriously: “In every such case, military forces are immediately dispatched to the location to ensure that it is not a terrorist event.”
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