Incendiary balloons aim to draw attention to Gaza siege: Analysts

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Palestinians have resumed the launch of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip into Israel for the first time since 2021.

Analysts believe that the move is part of Palestinian efforts to draw attention to the 16-year-long Israeli blockade of the seaside enclave.

The balloon launch came amid Palestinian protests over the past week near a security border fence with Israel, which drew Israeli airstrikes against Hamas positions in Gaza.

Hamas did not publicly say it was behind the current protests near the Gaza border. The group spokesman, however, said the protests were a “natural” result of the current tension in the Palestinian territories.

“This is an expression of Palestinian anger to the [settler] incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, assassinations, killings and the Gaza siege,” Hazem Qasem said.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns.

More than 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry.

Tension escalated recently as hundreds of Israeli settlers forced their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem in recent days to celebrate Jewish holidays.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents one of the holiest sites — Islam’s first prayer direction and the site of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)’s miraculous Ascension to the heavens. Jews, for their part, insist that the area — referred to as the ‘Temple Mount’ — was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Qasem termed the Israeli airstrikes on Hamas military sites “an attempt to intimidate the rebellious youth and force them to stop the protests.”

“Despite the repeated attacks against our sites, Hamas will continue to support the struggle whether in Gaza, the West Bank or Jerusalem,” the spokesman said.

“We are in an open war with the occupation,” he added.

– Economic facilities

Hamas did not give details about any economic crisis in Gaza. Its government, however, has recently reduced salaries by five percent.

Last month, the Budget and Financial Affairs Committee of the Hamas-run parliament announced a budget deficit of 116 million shekels ($30.3 million) since 2021, according to the Hamas-run Al-Rai news agency.

Shaker Shabat, an expert in Israeli affairs, said the balloon launch aims to pile pressure to break the Israeli siege and improve economic conditions in Gaza.

“There is still a chance for the situation to escalate if the [Israeli] violations and Gaza economic crisis continue,” he said.

“There is no party interested in escalating the situation into an open battle that carries huge costs,” Shabat added.

– Political role

On Thursday, Israel reopened the Erez crossing with Gaza to allow Palestinian workers to enter the country for the first time since September 17.

Ali Al Awar, an Israeli affairs expert, said: “The closure of the crossing affects 18,000 workers who have permits to enter Israel for work. Those workers contribute to reviving the commercial activity [in Gaza] and giving the market a kind of purchasing power.”

“Hamas uses the incendiary balloons as a pressure tool without resorting to traditional military tools as this will not lead to an open battle with Israel,” he said.

Awar thinks that the current state of tension is “temporary.”

“It may not last for long as it is expected to end with offering economic facilities to Gaza,” he said.

“Incendiary balloons are political messages sent to the parties concerned, and calm could be restored to Gaza by obtaining economic privileges,” the expert said.