The Israel Defense Forces deployed a number of Iron Dome rocket defense systems in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip this week.
The deployment follows a string of security assessments by defense officials in anticipation of a potential conflict in Gaza.
Defense officials reiterated the widely held assumption that Hamas, which rules Gaza, is not interested in sparking a war with Israel, but they understand that this was also the case when the last conflict erupted in 2014.
According to security assessments, Hamas is currently provoking Israel with violence on the border on the assumption that Israel will show restraint and avoid a clash for its own reasons.
While Hamas' assumption is not wrong, the general understanding within Israel's defense establishment is that Hamas is misreading the situation and pushing the boundaries too far, and that it is approaching the limit of what Israel is willing to contain. Israeli defense officials say Israel's power of deterrence has eroded somewhat in the four years since Operation Protective Edge.
Speaking to Israel Hayom in recent days, defense sources said that Israel will not tolerate the continuing security escalation along the Gaza border for much longer.
"The IDF is prepared for several scenarios and is ready to defend Israel's sovereignty and its citizens," the IDF said in a statement.
Palestinian arson attacks continued Thursday, with incendiary kites and firebomb balloons launched from Gaza sparking 20 fires in Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers battled the flames for hours. Fueled by high temperatures and strong winds, the blazes were subdued only after nightfall.
Palestinian kite terrorism, which has been rampant on the Gaza border since late April, has so far sparked 805 fires that have decimated over 8,200 acres of forest and agricultural land on the Israeli side of the border. The fires have caused millions of dollars in damage and have affected every community in the area.
The Nature and Parks Authority said the fires have destroyed 25% of all nature reserves near the border. The damage to the area's flora and fauna will take years to rehabilitate, it said.
Some of the balloons launched over the border carried warning stickers reading, "Leave our land or there will be nothing green left."
Police sappers were called to several Israeli communities to deal with suspected explosive kites and balloons.
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said Israel on Thursday successfully completed a series of prescheduled tests on upgrades for the Iron Dome rocket defense system.
Iron Dome is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells and is a key element in Israel's multilayered air defenses, along with David's Sling, which counters medium- to long-range rockets and missiles; Arrow 2, which intercepts short- and medium-range ballistic missiles; and the Arrow 3 long-range missile interceptor.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that as part of the tests, various types of projectiles were launched to simulate the threats Israel faces.
"The Defense Ministry will continue to develop the Iron Dome system in order to counter the emerging threats in the region and ensure Israel has optimal defenses," the statement said.
