Amid the growing threat of explosive drones from Lebanon and the lack of early warning systems, residents of Kibbutz Sasa in the Upper Galil have begun installing protective netting above kindergarten courtyards, daycares, and kibbutz playgrounds in an effort to shield children from potential attacks, Walla News reported.

The initiative was launched independently by members of the kibbutz, located near Israel’s northern border, as concerns continue to mount over Hezbollah’s explosive drones.

“We’re reinforcing the courtyards now so the children can still spend at least some time outside,” Yehuda Livne, a member of the community’s emergency response team, told Walla. “The children will be inside, under a roof, or outside, under these nets. We’re trying to create physical protection from a threat that suddenly appears from the sky without any warning.”

The decision followed a serious security incident earlier this week, when an explosive drone fired by Hezbollah detonated in an orchard near the kibbutz, roughly 50 meters from workers who were pruning trees nearby. At the time, many families and children were present in public areas of the kibbutz, and the explosion occurred without any siren or prior warning from Israeli defense systems or the Home Front Command.

“It’s a small, quiet ‘toy’ that you can’t see or hear,” Livne said. “Until it explodes, you don’t even know it’s there.”

Because of the minimal advance warning available, communities located close to the border — currently classified as “yellow zones” — remain under strict Home Front Command protection guidelines.

Under the current directives, children in kindergartens and daycare facilities may only use outdoor areas in groups of up to six children at a time, accompanied by two staff members, and for no longer than 20 minutes per session. In schools, outdoor groups are limited to 35 students.

Daily activity is otherwise restricted to reinforced or protected structures, while gatherings are limited to 200 people outdoors and 600 indoors.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)