Gaza incendiary kite
Photo: AFP
Gaza youth: We send up kites and go watch the fires in Israel
H., a member of the strip's 'kites unit,' says they have no ties to Hamas; 'We have no aid from Hamas and we don't need it. Preparing each kite, with its incendiary device, costs us three or four shekels,' he says.
Palestinians sending incendiary kites
over the Gaza border into Israel have no intention of stopping, 21-year-old H. told Ynet.
"The kite is the best weapon and the most important weapon we have in Gaza, it's better than all of the rockets and weapons we have," H. said.
"We send the kites up and go to Facebook to watch the fires on your side," said H., who belongs to Gaza's "kite unit."
The kite fliers paint their kites in the colors of the Palestinian flag and sometimes add a swastika as well.
(Photo: AFP)
"When a rocket is fired from Gaza, you have a response to it, but for the kites you don't have a response, they cause you a lot of damage," he explained.
On Monday, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said some 9,000 dunams of crops and forests have been burned as a result of fires started by the kites, which are affixed with an incendiary device.
The kites continue causing immense damage in Gaza border communities and endanger lives of Israelis living near the strip.
(Photo: AFP)
H. was wounded two weeks ago during Friday "March of Return" clashes near the border fence. He said an unidentified object blew up next to him and a piece of shrapnel hit his leg.
At the beginning of the "March of Return" campaign, about two months ago, he was part of the "tire burning unit," and two weeks later moved to the "kites unit."
He revealed the "kites unit" operates like an organization, but claimed it has no connection to Hamas.
"We're young people from all across the Gaza Strip. We're divided into groups according to areas, and each group has one person in charge who decides when to fly kites and how many. We have no aid from Hamas and we don't need it. Preparing each kite, with its incendiary device, costs us three or four shekels," he explained.
H. said his "unit" is planning to fly a large amount of kites on Friday, to mark Naksa Day, which commemorates the defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War.
"We watch TV and realize you have great fear of these kites. Because of that, every Friday there are more and more youths who participate in this activity," he added.
The interview with H. included many hate-filled comments against Israel, and it appeared he and his friends feel no guilt for the environmental damage they cause. "If Israel has no problem burning Gaza, why should we have any problem burning Israel?" he demanded.
Due to the lack of a real solution to this simple and cheap weapon, there have been increasing calls in Israel to eliminate kite fliers in Gaza.
H. said he and his accomplices are not afraid. "I don't want to become a shahid (martyr), but I'm also not afraid of the threats of assassination. If you start assassinating us, we will increase the number of kites we're flying your way. We'll continue with the kites method until you remove the siege from Gaza," he argued.
