After a period of relative respite from fires caused by explosives-laden balloons and kites flown over the Gaza-Israeli border by terrorist operatives, the arson attacks returned this week, with a vengeance. On Wednesday, balloons that landed in Gaza-adjacent communities in the western Negev caused a record 21 fires.
In the past few months, fires caused by explosives floated over the border fence have consumed some 450 (111 acres) of fields and forested land.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Wednesday saw fires in the Shaar Hanegev and Eshkol regions, including ones that broke out near a sports center in the Eshkol Regional Council and in the yard of a home in Eshkol. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused. Wildfires erupted in the Be'eri forest and the Besor Nature Reserve, among other locations.
The number of fires on Wednesday marks a sharp uptick from the beginning of the week. On Monday, arson balloons caused eight separate fires in the space of an hour.
The security coordinator for one of the afflicted communities in the western Negev said Monday that ongoing security work was being "pushed aside because the balloon terrorism has become a major issue in the day-to-day lives of the residents of [these] communities. The ones who pay the heaviest price are the farmers, who see months of labor go up in flames in moments. Massive damage is also being caused to the fields [themselves] and the crops, as well as to agricultural equipment," he said.
