With Tuppence for Paper and String
It appears that Hamas is sending kites over into Israel’s territory. In the time leading up to the attack on October 7, Hamas was floating balloons with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), burning rags and other flammable materials into Israel. Sometimes they would carry explosives hidden in objects that looked like toys, clearly meant to attract the attention of children. There were no casualties, but they did cause considerable damage. They started thousands of fires in southern Israel, burning agricultural land, forests and nature reserves. The IDF says more than 2,000 fires burned over 35,000 dunams (approximately 86,000 acres).
One can’t help but be moved by their love for the land.
In the meantime, here we are again, but the conversation is a little different. Back then, the response was restraint. For this we’re going to invade? Put boots on the ground? Endanger our soldiers? For this? It was the “if withdrawal doesn’t work, we can always go back in” argument becoming a liability to withdrawal, rather than a support. This time around, the kites are unarmed. Under the present situation, Hamas will trial-balloon us, in order to gauge our response level.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz made a show of sitting down together to come to a joint decision that Israel will treat these kite flights as a threat, and those sending them will pay. Netanyahu even invoked the much quoted threat by former U.S.president Joe Biden – “Don’t” – when warning Hamas not to test Israel’s mettle on this. I would have preferred something along the lines of “Go ahead, make my day”, but I get the irony he was going for.
Hamas, of course, denies having anything to do with this. If it’s not them, then anything that Israel does in response will be a violation of the ceasefire.
Aren’t they clever?
If it is not them, then how is it happening? Who would it be otherwise? Could it be the militias that oppose them? Or perhaps it’s family members of those being tortured and interrogated by Hamas in Nasser Hospital (Nasser Medical Complex) in Khan Younis.
The response to this threat should be swift and unambiguous. We, the people, cannot accept a policy that does not indicate anything but strength and resolve. Anything less would need to be added to the list of items to be investigated regarding the mistakes and failures of October 7.