Israeli customs officials thwarted the attempted smuggling of tens of thousands of helium balloons into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Israel’s tax authority stated.
Customs officials at the Ashdod port discovered the balloons during a routine inspection intended to thwart the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. The balloons were found in two containers of used clothing being brought into the strip by Gazan importers.
The Ashdod port customs officials noted that they oversee 90% of all imports into the Gaza Strip and are currently exerting much effort to halt the import of all balloons into the Strip.
Officials seized the containers and the culprits were transferred to security forces for interrogation.
Hamas has launched scores of incendiary and explosive balloons into Israel from the Gaza Strip in the past week, kindling almost a hundred fires in the past several days and burning thousands of dunams of land, including forest trees and agricultural fields.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Is it really wise for Israel to impair Palestinian birthday parties? Life in Gaza is so awful. But I guess it’s a reasonable trade-off for preventing balloon-launched bombs.