Shots were fired by an Israeli aircraft on Saturday towards a group of Palestinians in Gaza.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it had “spotted a group of Palestinians preparing balloons equipped with explosive devices to cause fires and serious damage on Israeli territory”.
An Israeli aircraft fired a warning shot Saturday to deter a group of Gazans preparing to fly a balloon fitted with explosives over the border, in the first such case, the army said.#Gaza #Palestinians #Israel https://t.co/r6iAydkbA6
— Randa HABIB (@RandaHabib) June 10, 2018
It comes as an Israeli minister warned that kite flyers in Gaza could be shot dead near the border.
The kites have become a potent symbol of a wave of Palestinian protests that broke out on March 30 against Israel’s crippling decade-long blockade of Gaza.
#Israeli Minister: Assassinate #Palestinians Who Launch Kites https://t.co/gpjrjaGfvu @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/qEl5FbsaNS
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 8, 2018
No one has was hurt by the fires, but some 2,250 acres of fields have been burned by flames stoked by Mediterranean winds, causing $2.5 million in damage, Israel’s government has claimed.
#Israel, a regional power with army/navy/air force/drones/satellites/nuclear weapons, has now a POWERFUL enemy…kites!
Another attempt to distract public opinion from the non-stop massacre of Palestinians in the border with #Gaza!
Via @Mondoweiss pic.twitter.com/JV1G3wzcjD— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) June 8, 2018
The kites are the latest protest tactic, allowing Gazan protesters to inflict some economic losses on Israel while remaining far enough from the border to avoid being shot by Israeli forces.
Israeli Army Kills 4 #Palestinians, Injures 600 as #Gaza Protests Escalate https://t.co/dCGgadhtk3 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/xTnpndAEtr
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 9, 2018
Nearly 130 Palestinians have been killed and over 130,000 wounded by Israeli fire since protests began eleven weeks ago.
(Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, PC, Social Media)
