Israel halts fuel shipments to Gaza over protest kites

Tel Aviv will halt fuel and gas shipments to Gaza for what it says is the Strip's continuous launching of "incendiary" balloons that torch fields in Israel. 

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's office made the announcement on Wednesday, saying he ordered a stop to fuel supplies via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

"The decision has been taken in view of the continued terror of incendiary balloons and friction along the (border) fence," the statement said.

Four months of weekly Friday border protests that began on 30 March have calmed slightly but organisers have vowed they will continue until Israel lifts economic sanctions on the enclave.

Israeli forces have shot and killed at least 155 Palestinians since protests broke out. One Israeli soldier was shot dead near the border on 20 July, sparking fierce retaliatory strikes.

Israel has lost tracts of farmland and forests to fires set by kites and balloons flown over from Gaza. Authorities previously barred entry of non-essential commercial goods into the Strip.

Palestinians in Gaza see the kites and balloons as legitimate resistance against Israel's more than 10-year blockade.

Meanwhile, on Sunday Israel intercepted an activist floatilla attempting to break the Gaza blockade.

The UN has previously warned that Gaza would be "unlivable" by 2020 if Israel does not halt the blockade. 

Agencies contributed to this report. 

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