Gaza Herald — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have threatened to carry out assassinations and force residents to leave neighborhoods in Gaza, citing the launch of kites and balloons toward Israeli settlements near the besieged Strip.
Israeli media reported in recent days that several kites had been launched from Gaza toward areas surrounding the Strip. The reports acknowledged that the kites were not carrying explosives.
Despite this, Netanyahu’s office said Israel would evacuate areas in Gaza from which balloons, drones or kites are launched, while threatening to intensify attacks against those it holds responsible if the launches continue.
Netanyahu and Katz held a meeting with senior Israeli military commanders to discuss what they described as the threat posed by drones and kites launched from Gaza.
Israel threatens new attacks
Katz said he had instructed the Israeli military to respond forcefully to the launch of balloons, kites and drones from Gaza toward areas surrounding the Strip.
He said the measures would include targeting Hamas figures and those involved in launching the devices, as well as evacuating neighborhoods and areas from which launches take place and attacking what he described as militant infrastructure.
Katz characterized every launch as an act of war and threatened to pursue anyone involved in organizing, carrying out or facilitating the launches.
He also claimed that whether a balloon or kite carries explosives or not, Israel would treat it as part of the same threat.
The Israeli defense minister said Israel would not return to the conditions that existed before October 7, 2023, and warned that those involved in the launches would face what he described as an immediate and forceful response.
Hamas condemns threats
Hamas condemned the Israeli threats, saying they reveal an intention to continue the assault on Gaza and advance plans for displacement and mass killing under what it described as pretexts.
The movement said threatening to attack Gaza over kites amounted to an attempt to justify further military action and endanger Palestinian civilians, including children.
Hamas called on Washington and international mediators to pressure Israel to adhere to a genuine path toward a lasting ceasefire and to confront what it described as Israel’s escalating aggression.
Israeli media label kites a “terror threat”
An Israeli military source reportedly said that 10 kites without explosives had recently been found in areas surrounding Gaza, while authorities were examining whether Hamas was using them to gather information about the area.
Israeli media outlets have nevertheless described the phenomenon as “kite terrorism,” despite acknowledging that the devices found did not contain explosives.
The rhetoric echoes events in 2018, when Palestinians launched kites and balloons carrying incendiary materials from Gaza during the Great March of Return protests, causing fires in agricultural areas near the Strip.
The latest threats come as Gaza remains devastated by Israel’s prolonged military campaign. Despite the ceasefire announced last October, Israeli attacks have continued to kill and injure Palestinians, while the population remains trapped amid widespread destruction, displacement and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
