An incendiary kiteIncendiary kite from Gaza causes massive fire in Be'eri Forest, YNET, 2 May 2018(also firebomb kite,Army warns Gazans against flying firebomb kites into Israel, Times of Israel, 4 May 2018 flaming kite,Flaming Kites From Gaza Thwarted by Winds, New York Times, 4 May 2018 fire kite) is a kite with a bomb, incendiary device, or Molotov cocktail attached.
Historical use Kites were first used in warfare by the Chinese.Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact, Justin D. Murphy, page 2The Strange and Violent History of Kites, Haaretz, Noa Manheim, 28 June 2018 During the Song dynasty the Fire Crow, a kite carrying incendiary powder, a fuse and a burning stick of incense, was developed as a weapon.China Reconstructs, Volume 33, 1984 Walter de Milemete's 1326 De nobilitatibus, sapientiis, et prudentiis regum treatise depicts a group of knights flying a kite laden with a black-powder-filled firebomb over the wall of a city.Taking Flight: Inventing the Aerial Age, from Antiquity Through the First World War, Richard Hallion, pages 9-10 According to Samguk Sagi, in 647 Kim Yu-sin, a Korean general of Silla, rallied his troops to defeat rebels by using flaming kites which also scared the enemy.History of Science in Korea, Sang-un Chŏn, page 181 In the 17th century, the forces of Thai king Phetracha tied gunpowder barrels to kites used for airborne assault.
Gaza Strip use
During the 2018 Gaza border protests Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have flown fire bomb kites over the Israel–Gaza barrier, setting fires on the Israeli side of the border,Gazans Fly Firebombs Tied to Kites Into Israel, Sparking Several Blazes, Haaretz, 16 April 2018Gazans use kites to set fire to fields, forests in Israel, JNS, 17 April 2018Flaming kite from Gaza sets Israeli warehouse ablaze, Times of Israel, 21 April 2018Continuing kite threat puts Israeli farmers on edge, YNET, 24 April 2018 Since the beginning of May 2018,Kite terror continues to strike Gaza border communities, 8 May 2018, YNET longer range helium filled incendiary balloons, devised from party balloons and condoms, have been used alongside the kites.Beyond kites: ‘Fire balloons’ increasingly used to set southern Israel ablaze, Times of Israel, 4 June 2018Israel announces Gaza sanctions in response to cross-border blazes, Reuters, 9 July 2018Gaza rocket barrage triggers Israeli air strikes, BBC, 20 June 2018 In one instance, a falcon outfitted with a harness with flaming material at the end was utilized as well.Gaza’s Latest Weapon? Arson Bird Found Near Border With Israel, Bloomberg, Alisa Odenheimer, 17 July 2018
As of 10 July 2018, incendiary kites and balloons have started 678 fires in Israel, destroying of woodland and of agricultural fields as well as causing additional damage to open fields.Kite, balloon terrorism continues scorching Israel's land, YNET, Matan Tzuri, 10 July 2018.
On 25 August 2026 during the Gaza war, Israel warned Hamas that it will increase strikes on Gaza following concern over launches of kites, drones and balloons from the territory.as several kites were found in an Israeli community near the border with Gaza over the weekend, local media reported, threatening that "A balloon is treated like a kite, and a kite is treated like a drone, with or without explosives." , While hamas dismissed the accusations as pretext to break the ceasefire https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y58g2dp3xo.
See also Incendiary balloon
References