At least 36 fires have been started in the Gaza Envelope by incendiary balloons sent over the border from Gaza on Monday.Many of the fires burned in empty fields in the Sha’ar Hanegev and Eshkol Regional Councils and did not endanger people in the region, according to Israeli media. A bunch of balloons with a suspicious item attached to them, suspected of being incendiary balloons, landed near a town in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council on Monday. A police bomb squad arrived on the scene and neutralized the item. There were no injuries and no damage was done.A bomb squad was called after a suspicious balloon landed in the city of Sderot. The initial bomb squad tests indicated that it was an incendiary balloon and measures were taken to neutralize it.
Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz visited an Iron Dome battery and spoke to the combat soldiers there. Gantz said that “the heads of Hamas should know that when the balloons explode in Israel, the explosions near them will be much more painful.” He went on to say that Israel is “not willing to take a rocket or a balloon, or any breach of security,” and that as long as this activity continues, Israel will “continue to work and continue to respond forcefully.”