(AP) — Israeli police say bomb disposal units have detonated an explosive device attached to a balloon fired from Gaza that floated on to a highway.
Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was spotted by civilians Friday, the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israel has been battling large fires caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices, or attached to burning rags, launched by Palestinians in Gaza that have damaged forests, burned agricultural fields and killed animals in recent weeks.
In Gaza, organizers of weekly border rallies said they will deploy large numbers of kites and balloons with incendiary materials throughout the day, in hopes they will land in Israel.
A group said it will launch bigger more dangerous balloons after 10 days unless the Israeli-Egyptian blockade, set after the Islamic militant group Hamas took over Gaza, is lifted.