The Air Force will investigate the unusual incident.
By David Isaac, World Israel News
The missile was intended for Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. But something went seriously wrong.
An IDF combat helicopter fired a missile only to have it fall on a cowshed instead. The missile didn’t explode and the Air Force says it will investigate what happened. The incident took place sometime between Tuesday night and early Wednesday.
A bomb sapper took care of the missile. No injuries were reported and only light damage was done to the cowshed.
However, farmers were near the cowshed when the missile landed, meaning a potential disaster may have been narrowly avoided.
The missile was part of a larger attack on Hamas targets in which a military compound, underground infrastructures and observation posts belonging to the terror organization were hit.
Israel’s attack came in response to a new wave of explosive balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. The balloons began last Thursday, and after a lull over the weekend, returned in force by Monday.
Tuesday saw the a record number of fires – 60 – since the wave of aerial arson began.
Hamas says its renewed aggression is due to Israel’s failure to live up to commitments to carry out economic projects for the Gaza Strip. It also blames the end of a Qatari handout of $150 million, paid in six installments. Hamas wants the cash to keep coming.
On Monday, Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordered the Kerem Shalom crossing into the Gaza Strip closed except for fuel and humanitarian goods due to the renewed attacks.
Israel’s Kan News reports that the pro-Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadid says that factions in Gaza, and Hamas in particular, want only a limited confrontation with Israel, but if mediators and Israel ignore Gaza’s demands, the conflict will worsen.