By: Staff Writers

Firefighters continued to battle several large blazes in southern Israel Wednesday morning amidst an onslaught of incendiary kites sent into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Video of a massive fire near the campus of Sapir College in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council was widely shared on social media, while other fires burned in or near communities including Kissufim, Nirim, Miflasim, Ein Hashlosha and Nir Am. The KKL-JNF announced plans on Tuesday to sue Hamas for damages.

“It is inconceivable that the international community would allow Hamas not to be held accountable and pay for its criminal acts; not only against the citizens of the state of Israel, but also against nature and the environment which have been severely hurt by this criminal environmental terrorism,” said KKL-JNF world chairman Daniel Atar. “Hamas has proved that they have no humanity – not just toward human beings, but also toward animals and natural resources. We are going on a planting campaign with the children from the towns surrounding Gaza: Hamas burns forests – we plant them. We will prove that our lives here are founded on strength and growth.”

“Our brave firefighters can extinguish the fires, but only the IDF can eliminate those who lit them,” said Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan during a tour of the Kissufim area. “I expect the IDF to carry out targeted assassinations of terrorist kite launchers that endanger people’s lives on a daily basis. They need to know that they will pay for it.”

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