Israel is using children’s kites as pretext to strike Gaza: Hamas

Israel has warned Hamas that it will intensify operations in Gaza if launches of kites, drones, and balloons towards Israel continue. According to Israeli media, around 10 kites were found in communities near the Gaza border in recent days, with one shot down by the army on Sunday. The Israeli military believes Hamas is behind the launches, which did not carry explosives.

The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, has given Hamas a three-day deadline to halt the launches. If the launches do not cease, Israel will take action to intensify targeted operations against those responsible and evacuate the population from areas where the kites, drones, and balloons are launched.

Hamas has responded to Israel's warning, with spokesperson Hazem Qassem saying that threatening children over kite launches amounts to an attempt to undermine a ceasefire. Qassem called on the US, the UN Security Council, and mediating states to pressure Israel into halting its actions.

Brief written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye, Free Malaysia Today, El Pais, Haaretz, Gulf News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.