Hamas' Wave of Environmental Terrorism

In August, terrorists in Gaza launched rockets and hundreds of explosive balloons into Israel. These balloons ignited fires on thousands of acres of Israeli land, terrorizing civilians. Here are some things you need to know about these attacks:

The balloon-arson attacks are not a new phenomenon:

Since the Gaza border events of 2018 (read more here), terrorists in Gaza have launched balloons with incendiary and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) attached to them. This has become such a pervasive method of terror, that Hamas and other terrorist organizations within the Gaza Strip have established units within their organizations to manage manufacturing and launching these incendiary devices. For example, the Hamas-affiliated Sons of Al-Zawari unit is dedicated to terrorizing Israeli civilians with IEDs attached to balloons.

In addition, “night confusion units” were created to erode the security of the Israel-Gaza fence, threatening nearby civilians. “Night confusion units” hurl explosives, launch firecrackers, blind soldiers with laser pointers, and burn tires to create a dangerous environment for civilians.

Balloons might seem harmless, but these attacks cause critical damage, and are potentially lethal:

The ecological and economic impact that these fires cause can be irreparable. Terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have carried out some of the largest acts of environmental terrorism in the world. During August 2020, fires sparked by balloons destroyed thousands of acres of natural forests and farmland in southern Israel, killing massive amounts of wildlife. Local farmers' crops, farming equipment, and livelihoods were damaged.

In addition to the physical damage, these attacks cause long-lasting psychological damage to the people who live in these communities, especially children. Terror organizations often deliberately create explosive balloons that will target children. For example, on August 17, 2020, an incendiary device attached to a terror balloon started a fire near an Israeli kindergarten in Sderot. Thanks to the speed and coordination of nearby firefighters, no one was hurt. However the impact, both physical and psychological, was drastic. 

The launching of explosive and incendiary devices such as balloons is just one part of a broader wave of terror that Hamas inflicts on Israeli communities:

The threats that Israeli civilians face from terror organizations in Gaza do not start or stop with the arson-balloon attacks. Other means of terror that are frequently deployed by Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza include rockets, violent border riots, molotov cocktails, border infiltrations, stabbings, terror tunnels, kidnappings, suicide bombings, and more. For example, on August 21, 2020, Hamas fired 12 rockets from Gaza into Israel overnight, targeting Israeli homes. Of these rockets, nine were intercepted by the Iron Dome.

The Israel Defense Forces will not allow this wave of terror to continue: 

In response to the violent and persistent terror attacks from Gaza, the IDF has used technology ranging from laser interceptors to drones to stop Hamas' environmental terrorism. Additionally, during August 2020, the IDF struck approximately 100 military targets belonging to Hamas. These included weapons manufacturing centers, military compounds, observation posts, underground infrastructures, naval targets, and aerial platforms used to launch rockets, drones, and explosive and incendiary balloons. 

The IDF will continue to defend Israeli civilians from all enemy threats in Gaza.