Israelis outside Gaza up in arms after fresh incendiary balloons from Gaza

The resumption of Palestinian balloon terror and mortar attacks from the Gaza Strip is stirring extreme anti-government resentment among the Israeli communities and the IDF troops in line of attack, DEBKAfile reports. Fresh clusters of incendiary balloons, which started two fires on Tuesday, and mortar fire on Monday, were falsely defined as “an explosive device and fire crackers” by the IDF spokesman.

Soldiers complain that, since they were issued with stricter rules of engagement, violent Palestinian disturbances, including the lobbing of hand grenades and explosive devices across the border, have become more frequent and brazen. The IDF has gone back to its mild tit-for-tat attacks on empty Hamas bases. People living within range of Gaza have no idea what the next day will bring or who to believe. Mrs. Meirav Cohen, a resident of Ein Hashlosha abutting the Gaza Strip, sent this letter on Monday to the Defense Ministry’s ombudsman:
“Of late, we, who live next-door to the Gaza Strip, are reporting the unacceptable and exasperating behavior” of the IDF spokesman in “systematically telling lies about events pertaining to our neighborhood and the Gaza Strip.” This habit is “dangerous and could put our lives in peril.” she wrote and added: “You can’t fool us. We don’t know who gives the IDF spokesman his orders to issue lying statements, but whoever it is, is behaving in a “dangerously irresponsible manner.”