Israel warns of strikes, evacuations over kites launched by Palestinian children in Gaza

Israeli officials have convened a special security meeting in response to kites launched by Palestinian children in Gaza. The Israeli military has warned that these paper kites will be treated as drones, leading to potential strikes and evacuations. Netanyahu's office has given Hamas a three-day deadline to cease the kite launches, threatening a broad air assault if the launches continue.

Israeli military sources have stated that no suspicious materials were found on the kites, which they believe were launched by Palestinian children. However, residents of an illegal Israeli settlement adjacent to Gaza have complained, stating that kites should not be dismissed as isolated or harmless incidents. The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has directed Israeli forces to respond forcefully to the launches and take steps to stop them, classifying the kites as an act of war and treating them the same as drones.

The use of kites as a symbol of freedom for Palestinians, particularly children, has endured throughout the years of Israel's siege on Gaza, with thousands of kites flown as part of UNRWA's Summer Games in 2010.