Israel warns of forceful response to kite, balloon launches from Gaza

A Palestinian boy holds a kite at a camp for displaced people in Gaza City on Sunday

Israel has warned Hamas that it will increase strikes on Gaza following concern over launches of kites, drones and balloons from the territory.

Several kites, none carrying explosives, were discovered in an Israeli community near the Gaza border over the weekend, according to local media reports.

“Forceful actions will be taken to put an end to this phenomenon,” the defence minister Israel Katz said Monday, indicating that a balloon is treated like a kite and a kite like a drone.

The Israeli military said the kites were likely intended to test Israel’s response, and warned that there would be zero tolerance for any such activities.

Residents of Nahal Oz, a kibbutz close to the border, expressed fear of a return of incendiary kites and balloons, calling the situation a threat to their security.

Hamas has denied responsibility for the kites and called them children’s toys from displacement camps, accusing Israel of using them as pretext for continued air strikes despite an agreed ceasefire last October.

The backdrop to this warning is a series of Israeli strikes in Gaza, with casualties reported in refugee camps and towns, and a growing toll of more than 74,420 deaths since the start of the current conflict.