Police sappers working around the clock to neutralize balloon terror
Israel Police conduct searches on a daily basis to make sure that incendiary devices are found and neutralized.
By TZVI JOFFREA FIRE caused by a balloon launched from Gaza. (photo credit: REUTERS)
With the return of incendiary and explosive balloon launches from the Gaza Strip, Israel Police’s Bomb Disposal Unit have once again been placed on the frontlines to handle and neutralize explosive devices sent into Israel by terrorist groups in Gaza.The balloon terror began with incendiary kites and balloons aimed at burning land, causing economic damage. This terror eventually expanded to explosive balloons aimed at harming people directly and causing terror.Erez Tamsut, chief superintendent, Commander of the Police Bomb Disposal Unit in the south, explained to The Jerusalem Post that explosive balloons, rocket sirens and gunfire have become “routine” for residents and police in the Gaza envelope.“For us this has already become routine, but people looking at this from the outside see that these are not usual incidents. In routine here, we get incendiary and explosive balloons and from time to time we get rocket sirens and gunfire,” explained Tamsut. “All this together forms our ‘routine of terror’ as it’s called, that both the residents and us, Israel Police, experience.”Tamsut is also a resident of the Gaza envelope alongside being a unit commander in the region. The situation in the south leads to the unit needing manpower and reinforcements from other districts in order to distribute forces throughout the area to provide a quick and useful response to the incidents.The commander stressed that the unit is prepared for new developments and a number of situations as the terror groups improve their equipment, devices and methods in every round or renewal of rocket fire of balloon launches. “We need to be ready for all sorts of developments and surprises from the terror organizations,” explained Tamsut.While the number of balloons that have been launched in recent days is smaller than some past rounds of launches, the police are seeing a renewal of launches and in general the terror groups begin with small launches and slowly build up to larger launches.Tamsut added that explosive and incendiary balloons are not precision weapons. “As soon as they’re launched into the air, there’s no control. Neither us nor the terror groups launching the balloons know where they’ll land,” explained Tamsut. While the balloons usually land in the areas near the Gaza Strip, they do occasionally make it as far as the West Bank, Central Israel and Jerusalem. One string of balloons reportedly made it all the way to Hebron on Tuesday.Although the explosives carried by the balloons are not especially large, “the effect is the same,” stressed Tamsut. “There is the fear created among the public and of course the possibility of people being harmed as the explosives sometimes carry shrapnel.”In recent days, there were a number of severe incidents. In Arad, an explosive got all the way to the industrial zone. Another explosive detonated in Netivot just meters away from homes and shrapnel hit homes and cars on Friday evening. Another device was found and neutralized by police near the entrance to a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council.“When you have an explosive device suddenly land inside a city, in a kindergarten or a gathering or a market area, it would be very difficult to prevent that type of explosion from taking place,” explained Israel Police foreign press spokesman Supt. Micky Rosenfeld.One of the issues with the balloon terror is that it’s hard to tell when and where explosive devices have landed until they’re found by either police or locals. Israel Police conduct searches on a daily basis to make sure that such devices are found and neutralized before they can harm someone.“Our police units are continuing to patrol the south in order to find explosive devices that have landed in Israel in recent days from the Gaza area,” added Rosenfeld. “Police operations are expanding as the threats have increased in towns and communities.”Israel Police also work to inform the public about what to do if they find explosive balloons or other suspicious objects. When it comes to the balloon terror, the police place emphasis on how children should respond, because often the balloons carry items to try and attract children.Over 68 fires were sparked by incendiary and explosive balloons throughout the Gaza envelope on Tuesday as of press time. The balloon units have continued launches throughout the night in recent days, so that number may increase.Israel Police ask the public not to approach or touch suspicious objects. If suspicious balloons are spotted, move away from the object, distance others from the object, keep a distance of at least 50 meters from the object and call Israel Police dispatch by dialing 100.Israel Police are the only ones certified to handle and neutralize explosive balloons.
