Israel warns of ‘Forceful’ response to kites flown from Gaza

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Monday that the Israeli state would step up strikes on Gaza if the use of kites, drones and balloons against Israeli communities continues. The announcement followed the discovery of several unarmed kites near the Gaza border, raising alarms that the devices could be a test of Israel’s reaction.

Four kites were found in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, only 800 metres from the border, according to local media. Israeli military sources say Hamas is believed to be behind the displays and that they may be intended to see how Israel would respond. The kites carried no suspicious materials and posed no direct threat, the ministry added.

Katz made clear that the policy would be "zero tolerance" – a balloon would be treated like a kite, and a kite like a drone, whether or not it carries explosives. He warned that the use of such devices would not be tolerated, even as they are deemed harmless.

Residents of Nahal Oz voiced their fear of a resurgence of incendiary kites and balloons, emphasising that they would not accept a security policy that leaves them vulnerable. Hamas, meanwhile, states that their so‑called kites are merely children’s toys from displacement camps and that Israel is using the incidents as a pre‑text to continue its aggression in Gaza.

Israel’s threat comes against a backdrop of ongoing air strikes in Gaza that, since the initial outbreak, have killed more than 74,000 people. The latest clash involved Israeli forces striking the Maghazi area, claiming the killing of a Hamas weapons manufacturing site commander, and the targeting of a tent in Deir al‑Balah, killing a Hamas elite member.

With Gaza still under siege and the ceasefire effective only as a pause rather than a durable peace, the situation remains highly volatile. International voices are calling for a renewed ceasefire and humanitarian relief, while inside Gaza the calls for peace and a return to normalcy grow louder.