Key facts
- Israel has warned Hamas of intensified strikes on Gaza due to kite, drone, and balloon launches from the territory.
- Defense Minister Israel Katz stated there would be 'zero tolerance' and that kites would be treated as drones, with or without explosives.
- Several kites, without explosives, were found near the Gaza border.
- Hamas denied responsibility for the kites, calling them children's toys and accusing Israel of using them as a pretext for continued aggression.
Israel has warned Hamas that it will intensify strikes on the Gaza Strip if kites, drones, and balloons continue to be launched from the territory. The warning follows the discovery of several kites, which did not carry explosives, near Israeli settlements over the weekend. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared 'zero tolerance,' stating that a balloon would be treated like a kite, and a kite like a drone, regardless of whether they carry explosives. He indicated that 'forceful actions' would be taken, potentially including targeting Hamas commanders and displacing residents. Israeli military sources suggested Hamas might be behind the launches, possibly to test Israel's response, though no suspicious materials were attached to the kites found. Hamas denied responsibility, claiming the kites belonged to 'children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble' and accused Israel of using them as a 'pretext' for continued air strikes. The group called on international bodies to intervene. The escalation comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties. On Sunday, two people were killed and seven injured in Israeli strikes in central Gaza, including a four-year-old boy. The Israeli military reported killing a Hamas weapons manufacturing site commander and a member of the Nukhba forces involved in the October 7th attack.