Balloons Adrift From Israel Spook Lebanese

A number of Lebanese residents were spooked when black balloons drifted north from Israel on Sunday and Monday. According to The Daily Star newspaper, panic broke out on Sunday when flourescent green and orange  balloons with the Hebrew word for "The City" printed on them as part of an ad campaign wafted in from Israel and landed in the south of Lebanon. Five Lebanese civilians were hospitalized with symptoms such as nausea and breathing difficulties after claiming they had come in contact with the balloons, but tests revealed no toxic substances. On Monday, a black balloon with a spider logo was discovered in a Beirut neighborhood triggering a new panic. Ashraf Rifi, the head of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, told The Daily Star that, while there was no evidence of any poison or dangerous substance, "Israeli balloons never used to drift over to Lebanon, so why now? I believe it is an intentional act by Israel to cause further panic in a country already on edge."