Israeli media report Palestinians plan to launch 5,000 [ kite bombs ] into southern Israel to mark Eid al-Fitr.

The IDF struck a target in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, two hours after it fired warning shots in the same area toward Palestinians who were preparing airborne incendiary devices near the Bureij refugee camp.

“The IDF struck an infrastructure near the area where a squad had previously been preparing Molotov cocktails in the southern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said. “The IDF considers the use of incendiary kites and balloons to be severe, and will act to prevent their use.”

The announcement came shortly after Palestinians reported that a drone launched a missile at people near the border fence who were flying balloons with Molotov cocktails attached, and unconfirmed reports by Israeli media that Palestinians planned to launch 5,000 incendiary balloons and kites toward Israel from the Hamas-run Strip to mark Eid al-Fitr on Thursday night.

Gazans have been protesting along the border with Israel since March 30 as part of what organizers have called the “Great March of Return.” Demonstrators have been throwing stones, Molotov cocktails and rocks toward Israeli troops and flying incendiary kites and balloons into Israeli territory, destroying more than 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of forest, nature reserves and agricultural fields.

On Thursday, several fires broke out near Kibbutz Be’eri and in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council from incendiary kites flown from Gaza. Firefighting teams fought to put out the blazes.

Speaking at a conference at Bar-Ilan University on Thursday, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said that while Israel has managed to intercept more than two-thirds of the kites that have been launched toward Israeli territory, “It is impossible to hermetically seal the sky.”

“But we are looking for solutions and I am sure we will find a solution,” he said, adding that “the trick is to strengthen deterrence and prevent the launch itself.”

On Tuesday, Israel announced that it was limiting the entrance of helium into the Gaza Strip. Helium is used for various medical reasons such as MRI machines.

Read More: Jerusalem Post