1 week ago
Gaza Parents Warned Against Kites After Israel Threat
Groups helping displaced families in Gaza told parents to stop children from flying kites.
They said this was meant to keep children safe, not to stop them from playing.
Israel said kites, balloons or drones sent toward its territory could lead to a forceful response.
Israeli villages near Gaza were reportedly frightened by several kites seen crossing the border.
Some Israeli officials said Hamas was encouraging the activity to provoke Israel.
Hamas denied this and said Israel was creating excuses to continue the war.
In 2018, incendiary kites and balloons from Gaza caused fires in Israeli fields.
One Gaza mother said she would no longer let her 10-year-old son fly kites.
Gaza committees urged parents to stop children flying kites after an Israeli warning.
Israel threatened to target people launching kites, balloons or drones toward its territory.
Several non-incendiary kites reportedly drifted from Gaza into nearby Israeli villages recently.
Gaza used incendiary kites and balloons in 2018 protests against Israel’s blockade.
Hamas accused Israel of using the kite reports as a pretext to continue the war.
- Who
- Gaza popular committees, Gaza parents and children, Israeli officials, and Hamas.
- What
- Parents were urged to stop children flying kites after Israel threatened action against launches of kites, balloons or drones toward Israel.
- Where
- In the Gaza Strip and nearby Israeli villages.
- When
- The warning was issued late Monday, following an Israeli warning on Sunday; several kites had reportedly been seen during the previous month.
- Why
- Gaza committees cited concern for children’s safety, while Israel said such launches threatened nearby communities; Hamas disputed Israel’s justification.
Israeli security concerns
Gaza and Hamas objections
Meaning of the kite launches
Israeli security concerns
An Israeli defense official said Hamas was trying to provoke Israel by encouraging Gazans to fly kites across the border.
Gaza and Hamas objections
Hamas said Israel was using the kites as a false pretext to continue the war.
Need for restrictions
Israeli security concerns
Israel warned that those responsible for launches and areas where launches originated could face severe action.
Gaza and Hamas objections
Gaza committees said stopping children from flying kites was necessary to protect them from harm, while stressing that children had already lost basic opportunities to play.
Threat posed by recent kites
Israeli security concerns
Israeli residents in nearby villages were alarmed after several kites crossed from Gaza, particularly because those communities had been attacked during the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault.
Gaza and Hamas objections
The recent kites were not reported to be carrying incendiary materials, and Gaza residents described kite-flying as ordinary children’s recreation.
Key facts
- Gaza warning
- Popular committees representing nongovernmental organizations and charities issued the warning.
- Israeli threat
- Benjamin Netanyahu said people responsible for launching kites, balloons or drones toward Israel could be targeted for assassination.
- Recent sightings
- Several kites not reported to contain incendiary materials were seen drifting from Gaza into Israel during the previous month.
- 2018 incidents
- Incendiary kites and balloons from Gaza caused fires across hundreds of acres of Israeli open fields and farmland.
- Gaza parent
- A mother in Gaza City said she would no longer allow her 10-year-old son to fly kites.
- Ceasefire oversight
- An Israeli official said Israel complained to the Board of Peace, which oversees implementation of the 2025 Gaza ceasefire deal.
Quotes
Gaza popular committees
Representatives of local nongovernmental organizations and charities operating Gaza camps and shelters
“We are working tirelessly on the ground and doing everything possible to stop this practice, not to restrict the childhood of our children, who have already been deprived of the most basic rights to play and live in safety, but to protect their innocent lives.”
theprint.in
“Every summer, my kid, Ahmed, 10, and the kids in the street fly those kites to entertain themselves, but I will not allow him to, not anymore.”
theprint.in
Sources
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