Hamas instructs members to stop balloon terrorism
Amid pressure from Egypt and fear of an Israeli military campaign in the strip, the Gaza terror group is signaling to its fighters on the ground to stop leading the incendiary balloon and kite terrorism; balloon fliers: 'We receive orders from no one, we won't stop.'
The Gaza terror group has also been making efforts to stop others not of its ranks from flying the incendiary balloons.
But members of Gaza's incendiary balloons and kites unit said they will continue sending the incendiary devices towards Israel despite Hamas's instructions.
"We receive orders from no one and our peaceful resistance will continue until our demands are met and the siege over Gaza is lifted. The worse the siege becomes, the bigger the amount of fires, and they will reach greater distances," they said in a statement.
On Tuesday, an incendiary balloon landed in outside a kindergarten in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. The children who were playing outside were not hurt.
Hamas's tactical decision comes in the wake of heavy pressure Egypt has been exerting on the terror group in recent days, as well as messages passed on to Gaza by other sources, that continuing the balloon terrorism could result in Israel launching a military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt has decided to give Hamas a few days to put a stop to or at least significantly reduce the incendiary balloons in the wake of Hamas's insistence that it cannot stop the incendiary balloons all at once.
"Hamas can't stop the balloons because it will undermine its position with the residents of the Gaza Strip and its own supporters. It would be seen as capitulation, and therefore it must be done gradually," a source in the Gaza Strip told Ynet.
At the same time, another unforeseeable problem emerged for the terror group: Hamas's leadership abroad informed its Gaza leadership that it would no longer be able to continue financing the "March of Return" campaign, which is estimated to have already cost tens of millions of shekels. In addition to the expensive organization of the protests, the funding includes money Hamas gives to the families of those killed and the thousands wounded in the clashes on the border.
Following the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing to fuel and gas, there has been a spike in prices in the strip amid fears of an energy crisis. Sources in the strip estimate that by Thursday, the gas supply in the Gaza Strip will be completely depleted.
However, the Israeli announcement that the Kerem Shalom crossing will remain closed until Sunday is intended to signal to Gaza that Israel is still willing and prefers giving a chance to calming the tensions than launching a new round of violence.
Limiting the crossing's closure, as well as the extension Egypt has given Hamas to stop the balloon terrorism, attest to the close coordination between Israel and Egypt in the efforts to calm the situation.
