GAZA CITY: Israel has threatened to intensify assassination operations and displace Palestinians from parts of Gaza unless the flying of kites and balloons by children in the Palestinian enclave toward Israeli territory is stopped.
Israeli media reported that several kites had recently reached communities near the Gaza Strip.
However, field information indicates that kites are commonly flown by children in Gaza, particularly in displacement camps, as a form of recreation and relief amid the enclave’s devastating humanitarian conditions.
The lightweight toys are controlled by strings from the ground. When a string breaks, wind can carry the kites beyond Gaza, where Israeli communities are located only a few kilometres away.
Israeli threats in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday threatened to expand assassination operations in Gaza and evacuate Palestinian residents from areas where Israeli authorities claim kites, balloons or drones are being flown.
Following a security assessment attended by Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir and senior officials, Netanyahu and Katz said the army would “increase assassination operations” against people it holds responsible.
Israel has threatened to launch further strikes in Gaza over paper kites flown by Palestinian children. pic.twitter.com/KjSOyGg04f
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 24, 2026
Katz had earlier ordered the military to respond “immediately and forcefully” to kites and balloons coming from Gaza.
“A balloon is like a kite, and a kite is like a drone, whether it carries explosives or not,” Katz said.
Palestinians warn of escalation
The threats have drawn concern and criticism in Gaza, where Palestinians fear the incidents could be used to justify a wider military escalation.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem described the kites as “children’s toys” being flown in displacement camps and accused the Israeli government of using what he called fabricated pretexts to continue attacks.
Qassem called on the US administration, mediators, guarantor states and the Board of Peace to pressure the Israeli side to halt what he described as violations of the ceasefire.
Political analyst Iyad al-Qarra told Anadolu news agency that the threats from Israeli officials could serve both military and domestic political purposes.
He suggested that the statements could signal preparations for broader airstrikes while also helping shift public attention during the country’s election period.
Al-Qarra noted that military and security officials had acknowledged that the recovered kites posed no danger.
Israeli army says kites posed no danger
The Israeli army said Saturday that four kites had been found near Nahal Oz within roughly 24 hours — one on Friday and three the following morning.
After examining them, the army said no suspicious materials had been discovered and that the kites “posed no danger to the public.”
The military did not provide evidence that the kites had been deliberately directed toward Israeli territory.
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Despite the army’s assessment, local council leaders in communities near Gaza called for a military response. Katz subsequently ordered Israeli forces to act against kites and balloons entering Israeli territory from Gaza.
Earlier on Sunday an Israli airstrike killed two people in the town of Al-Zawayda, including a four-year-old child named Muhammad Abdel Salam Taha, according to the civil defence rescue service.
Medics said flying debris and shrapnel that spread for dozens of metres around had wounded at least six people.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry figures, Israeli forces have continued to carry out ceasefire violations since October 10, 2025, resulting in 1,286 deaths and 4,257 injuries.
The Israeli military launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. According to Palestinian authorities, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded, while around 90 percent of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
