Key facts
- Gaza parents have been warned to stop children flying kites.
Gaza parents have been cautioned to prevent their children from flying kites due to Israeli threats of a strong response if Hamas revives the tactic of launching incendiary kites over the border. The warning comes amid heightened tensions and concerns for children's safety.
The warning highlights the precarious safety situation for children in Gaza and the potential for minor actions to escalate into further conflict, impacting civilian lives and ongoing ceasefire efforts.
Gaza parents have been urged to prevent their children from flying kites due to escalating tensions with Israel. The warning comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a forceful response, including targeting those responsible and the launch areas, if Hamas revives the tactic of sending incendiary kites and balloons across the border.
In 2018, such devices caused widespread fires in Israeli farmlands. In recent weeks, several kites, though not reported to be carrying incendiary materials, have been spotted drifting from Gaza into Israel, alarming residents of nearby villages. The popular committees, representing local NGOs and charities managing displacement camps, issued the advisory in coordination with Hamas authorities.
A Hamas official stated that Israel was using the kite issue as a pretext to continue the war. A senior Israeli defense official suggested Hamas was trying to provoke Israel by encouraging kite flying. A mother from Gaza City expressed concern for her son's safety, stating she would no longer allow him to fly kites.