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

Israel says it will step up air strikes over Gaza after a surge of kites, drones and balloons launched from the territory.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that ‘forceful actions’ would be taken to curb the phenomenon, warning that a balloon is treated the same as a kite and a kite the same as a drone, whether it carries explosives or not.

Four kites were found in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just 800 m from the Gaza border, and others appeared across southern Israel, leading troops to suspect Hamas was behind them. No suspicious materials were attached to the kites, the military said.

Hamas denied responsibility, describing the kites as “children’s toys from displacement camps” and accusing Israel of using them to justify further aggression beyond the ceasefire agreed in October.

In the same week, Israeli strikes in Nuseirat refugee camp and al‑Zawayda town killed two civilians and injured seven. A four‑year‑old boy was also killed when a building in al‑Zawayda was bombed. Recent reports also state that a Hamas weapons factory commander was killed, and a member of the elite Nukhba forces was targeted in Deir al‑Balah.

With over 74,000 people killed in Gaza since the war began, the conflict’s toll remains staggering, and international voices call for a renewed push towards peace.