Palestinians fly balloons loaded with flammable material to be thrown at the Israeli side, near the Israel-Gaza border in the central Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.

JNS.org – An arson balloon sent from Gaza caused an intense fire in the Israeli community of Ein HaBesor, near the Gaza border, on Saturday night. The fire was the largest such arson attack in six months.

Teams of firefighters, security teams and farmers battled to stop the flames before they destroyed greenhouses growing vegetables and flowers.

According to reports, a resident saw the balloon land and a fire ignited just minutes later, as the resident went for help. The balloon also ignited a landfill that could burn for several days.

Spokesman of the southern district’s fire department, Eli Cohen, said the arson attack caused the third landfill fire in the south in the past two days.

At least 10 arson fires were reported since violent clashes between 20,000 Gaza rioters and IDF soldiers on Friday. Nearly 10,000 acres of Israeli land have been destroyed by airborne incendiary attacks from Gaza since March.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported being attacked with grenades and explosive devices. The Israeli Air Force responded with two airstrikes on Hamas positions.

Smoke emanating from tires burned by protesters on Friday forced residents of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom to shutter themselves in their homes.