On Wednesday, a balloon bomb detonated near a house in a kibbutz in the Eshkol region. The bomb caused significant damage to windows of the house. Thankfully there were no injuries reported.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that it identified a group of balloons carrying an object emanating from the southern area of Gaza towards Israel. It seems like the object exploded in mid-air prior to its landing.

A resident of the Kibbutz, Renana Yaakov, told Israeli media that “In addition to the fact that damage was caused to a house, the explosion also took a psychological toll. Every time there is an incident like this, even though the idea of a balloon sounds nice, it is dangerous and deadly, and it always causes emotional trauma. This isn’t the first time. Last Friday another balloon fell in our Kibbutz. Miraculously no one was hurt and no damage was done. But the psyche takes a hit every time. We are bombarding the Israeli government with demands to do something about the situation and find a solution.”

Head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Gadi Yarkoni said: “Balloon attacks, both the bombs and the firebombs, are terror attacks in all senses of the word. Tonight, we are dealing with a significant increase in this terror. Residents of the region have revealed exemplary patience and we have allowed the policymakers and the army the ability to find their own solutions in order to deal with the terror that is being aimed at our towns. We will ever make peace with this reality and we expect an immediate and decisive solution that will ensure the safety and quiet of the region for the long term.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)