BICOM

A flying firebomb attached to a balloon, launched from Gaza, landed in the playground of a kindergarten in Israel yesterday.

Five-year-old children were attending a summer programme at the kindergarten in Moshav Tekuma, in the Sdot Negev Regional Council area, when the balloon landed. There were no injuries reported and a police bomb disposal team was called to neutralise the firebomb.

Also yesterday, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) aircraft fired warning shots at a group of Gazans who launched flying firebombs from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel.

Speaking during a visit to a military base in the Gaza area, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We are in the midst of a campaign, there is an exchange of blows, and I can say that the IDF is prepared for every scenario. Like me, all Israeli citizens believe in and support the IDF ahead of any possible development.”

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories for the Gaza Strip (COGAT), Col Iyad Sarhan, sent a message to Gazans via Facebook. He wrote: “The heavy price you are paying is a result of the balloon and kite terror; yes, we absolutely consider these incidents terrorism, therefore the response will be harsh.”

He added: “We can double the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip every day, double or triple or even multiply them ten times. You, the merchants, the citizens and the people living in the Gaza Strip are paying the price of terrorism led by the Hamas leadership (…) questions should be referred to Hamas.”

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that “security policy must not be in response to political or media pressure, we are acting forcefully and judiciously”.

He added: “What we need at this time is composure and nerves of steel. We are doing what needs to be done and the IDF is prepared for any scenario.”

Firefighters extinguished nine fires which happened as a result of attacks from Gaza yesterday.