Israel halts fuel shipments to Gaza ‘in response to Palestinians launching fire balloons’

Israel has decided to stop shipments of fuel into Gaza in response to Palestinians in the enclave launching incendiary balloons that have torched tracts of farmland on the Israeli frontier.

Palestinians in Hamas-ruled Gaza have launched dozens of helium balloons laden with incendiary material in recent days to pressure Israel to ease its blockade of the territory, Reuters reported.

Fuel shipments were stopped “in light of the continued launching of incendiary balloons from the Strip toward [Israel] and of the undermining of security stability,” the Defense Ministry said.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum has described the measure as a “grave act of aggression” that would deepen Gaza’s economic hardship.