Children in Gaza forced to destroy their kites following a threat from Israel
Israeli Defence Minister Katz has stated that the flying of kites will be regarded as a terrorist act. Hamas: “Israel is using false pretexts to continue the war”
The Israeli army has a new target in the Gaza Strip: the kites. These toys, made from makeshift materials by Palestinian children, are in fact regarded by Israel as a potential threat and will no longer be tolerated. In recent days, the Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has threatened ‘a strong response to any launching of balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip’.
This decision follows the discovery of a number of kites in a kibbutz near the border with Gaza, none of which, according to the Israeli army itself, were carrying weapons or hazardous materials. In 2018, however, residents of Gaza launched incendiary balloons and kites across the border, causing fires across hundreds of hectares of fields and farmland, in protest against the Israeli blockade of the Strip. For this reason, the IDF now regards any such activity as an act of terrorism. “From now on, every launch will be met with a strong response against those responsible, the organisers and the perpetrators, as well as against the launch sites and the infrastructure they use,” Katz reiterated, adding that “the IDF will act with all necessary means, including the evacuation of the population from the areas or neighbourhoods from which the launches are carried out, in order to neutralise the terrorist centres”.
This announcement has left many children in Gaza feeling despondent, and several videos have been circulating in recent days showing them protesting against the Israeli ban. Some footage shows children and parents destroying their kites for fear of becoming targets of IDF attacks. Hamas has reacted strongly, claiming that ‘Israel is creating false pretexts to continue the war against Gaza’.
