A balloon laden with explosives was launched into southern Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Thursday and detonated.
The Israeli news site Mako reported that the balloon touched down in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. Police sappers were dispatched to the scene and the device went off shortly after they arrived.
No one was injured in the explosion.
The IDF was reportedly examining the possibility that the incident might be an indication of an escalation of violence emanating from Gaza.
It came on the heels of a statement by Hamas that it would “burst all the dams” against Israel and intensify its activities in 2020.
Conditions on the border have been relatively calm recently, but on Wednesday four rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel.
Two of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system and two landed in open areas.
In response, the IDF struck several Hamas targets in Gaza.
The Algemeiner (c) 2019 . Benjamin Kerstein
{Matzav.com}
If they have the green light to do what they want, why not? If Israel is so powerless and pathetic, they can’t overthrow a few Gaza terrorists and instead of fire at empty buildings and empty fields, why should they not continue their terrorism if they can get away with it?