Israel threatens heavy Gaza strikes over balloon and drone launches
Israeli PM's office warns of intensified airstrikes on Gaza if launches of balloons and drones persist, despite a US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has warned of heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip if balloons, drones, and kites from the territory continue to be launched, despite a ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025. Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks have persisted, with two airstrikes on Sunday killing at least two people, including a four-year-old child, and injuring seven others.
One of the strikes targeted a building in the town of Al-Zawaida after Israeli military officials ordered residents to evacuate. Medics reported that debris and shrapnel injured six people, including Mohammed Abdul Salam Taha, who later died in the hospital. Some residents claim there is no real ceasefire in effect, as Israeli airstrikes have killed over 1,280 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect.
Jared Kushner, a US envoy to President Trump, discussed the possibility of handing over some Hamas weapons in Gaza and sealing tunnels with Netanyahu, but Netanyahu rejected the sequence of disarming Hamas before any Israeli withdrawal, insisting on complete disarmament first.
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