'We are human beings.' Uri Ariel
'We are human beings.' Uri ArielHillel Meir/ TPS

Six fires broke out in the Gaza vicinity on Friday and Saturday, following firebombs thrown from the Gaza Strip. The fires caused great damage to farmers’ crops.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel called Sunday to take a tough stance against the issue, but not to shoot to kill. "I do not think people should be killed because of this kite," he said.

In an interview with Radio 101.5, Ariel explained, "You have to be here, on the one hand, very firm, and like I said to shoot at the legs, shoot at the knees. It’s not an easy thing to be handicapped for one’s entire life.”

"What is not endangering human life has a different law than real danger to life, and it is impossible to say that there is life-threatening danger here. Now, I am certainly not defending them. I am the first to offer to shoot them, but in order to injure and not to kill.”

“We are human beings and they are human beings and we do not kill in order to kill. I think that in order to deter it is enough to shoot at the legs, it has not yet been tried. "

Ariel also addressed the farmers' claims that the Ministry of Agriculture would not compensate those who hastened to harvest the grain - because of the fire terror - if it did so before October 18, and promised that "any request that comes to us, no matter what date, will be examined in a practical manner."

The Minister of Agriculture also revealed that Israel considered preventing agricultural imports from Gaza. "We considered it, we spoke with farmers. The request was that we not stop [the imports]. It’s not that they’re in love with Gaza tomatoes. They understand that if the gate was closed to very little, these few tons, which from the market's point of view do not constitute any matter of interest, then Gaza will not import fruits from Israel - which amounts to about 30 times what they send us. Then the loss to farmers in the entire country would be huge."