Israel warns of 'forceful' response to kites flown from Gaza
Hamas says the kites found in Israeli border communities in recent days were launched by children in Gaza.
Israel has issued a stern warning to Hamas, indicating an escalation of strikes on Gaza due to concerns over kites, drones, and balloons launched from the territory.
Over the weekend, several kites, devoid of explosives, were discovered in an Israeli community near the Gaza border, as reported by local media.
"Forceful actions will be taken to put an end to this phenomenon," declared Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday.
Prior to the recent conflict, incendiary kites and balloons launched into Israel had caused extensive fires, damaging forests and farmlands.
Hamas has disavowed responsibility for the new kites, asserting they belong to "children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble."
The group further accused Israel of using the kites as a "pretext" to continue air strikes in Gaza, despite the ceasefire agreed upon last October.
On Friday and Saturday, four kites were found in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, approximately 800m (2,620ft) from the Gaza border. Local media also reported the discovery of several more in other parts of southern Israel last week.
Israeli reports, citing military sources, suggested that Hamas was believed to be behind the kites, possibly as a test of Israel's response.
The military confirmed that no suspicious materials were attached to the kites, and they posed no threat.
However, Katz warned of "zero tolerance," stating that "a balloon is treated like a kite, and a kite is treated like a drone, with or without explosives."
Residents of Nahal Oz expressed fears of a resurgence of incendiary kites and balloons, declaring, "We will not accept a policy of containment when it comes to our security."
Hamas cautioned against "the danger of the allegations and threats" from Israel, reiterating that the kites were "basically children's toys from displacement camps."
A spokesman for the group added, "These threats are based on fabricated pretexts and are an attempt to justify the continuation of the aggression and violations against our people."
On Sunday, Palestinian health officials reported that two individuals were killed and seven others injured in two Israeli strikes in Nuseirat refugee camp and the town of al-Zuwayda, both located in central Gaza.
Local media reported that a four-year-old boy named Mohammed Taha was killed when a building in al-Zawayda, just north of Maghazi refugee camp, was bombed.
The Israeli military stated it had killed Ismail Abu Ful, identified as the commander of a Hamas weapons manufacturing site in the Maghazi area, and that residents had been warned to evacuate beforehand.
"There is no ceasefire, there is nothing," Abu Ahmed, a displaced man sheltering nearby, told Reuters news agency. "We want solutions, we want to live in peace."
On Monday, Palestinian media reported the death of Mohammed Abu Asad in an overnight Israeli strike on a tent in the central town of Deir al-Balah.
The Israeli military identified Abu Asad as a member of the elite Nukhba forces of Hamas's military wing, who had participated in the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the cross-border assault, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
Since then, over 74,420 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, including 1,288 since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.