Around 20 fires broke out on Thursday inside Israel in various areas along the Gaza border, due to fire balloons being flown from the strip, with the largest conflagration erupting in Kibbutz Be'eri and Kibbutz Alumim.
The blazes broke out throughout the course of the day in the Eshkol, Sdot Negev, and Shaar Hanegev regions, as well as in several nature reserves, killing many small animals, in what has lately become a daily routine.
A suspected explosive device was also found in Israeli territory, attached to a balloon, sappers had been called in to neutralize the device.
Residents of the Gaza border communities are demanding that the IDF and the Defense Ministry put a stop to the phenomenon of fire kites and balloons, which has been wreaking havoc in the area for the last 3 months.
"This has become a real war," a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri said.
The man told the Ynet news site that local security volunteers in communities near Gaza are actively helping authorities by taking turns keeping watch for fires and quickly directing firefighters to the area.
"We are all committed to this, because if we don't do it, nobody will," he said. "We are making use of all our farming tools and vehicles to stop the fires from spreading."
Since March 30, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched hundreds of kites, balloons, and inflated latex condoms bearing flammable materials, and occasionally explosives, into Israeli territory, sparking near-daily fires in the region.
The IDF so far barely retaliated, mainly by hitting empty Hamas outposts and cars, or conducting warning shots at Gazan 'fire cells'.
Last photo: Protesting today in the Israeli side the damages to the serrounding nature caused by the Gazan fires
: One of the fires today
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