Israeli Military Appears Primed To Take Harder Line On ‘Terror Kites’

As more than two dozen fires raged throughout southern Israel over the weekend, the Israeli army for the first time directly targeted a Palestinian cell in the Gaza Strip responsible for flying incendiary objects across the border. Previously, the IDF had on a few occasions fired warning shots at those preparing to launch so-called “terror kites” and fire- and explosive-laden helium balloons, which have destroyed thousands of acres of Israeli fields, crops and nature reserves during the months-long Hamas-initiated “March of Return” protests. The apparent new rule of engagement is a stark departure from the military’s original tactic of intercepting incendiary devices only once they had crossed into Israeli territory, as conveyed to The Media Line earlier this month by a senior commander in the IDF ground forces’ Technological Operations and Research and Development unit. Moreover, Israeli jets struck two Hamas observation points in retaliation for the ongoing “agricultural terrorism,” effectively reinforcing its policy of holding Gaza’s rulers responsible for any acts of aggression emanating from the Palestinian enclave.