25.08.2026 07:40
Israel threatened to step up its attacks, blaming Hamas for kites and balloons near the Gaza border. Defense Minister Israel Katz said they would implement a 'zero tolerance' policy and that the kites would be treated like drones. Hamas, for its part, stated that the kites belong to children, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.
Local media reported that numerous kites were found in an Israeli settlement area near the Gaza border over the weekend. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday, "Strong measures will be taken to put an end to this."
Before the war, kites and balloons carrying flammable materials were launched into Israel, causing fires in forests and agricultural lands. However, Hamas denied any connection to these new kites, which did not carry explosives, stating that the kites belong to "children searching for their innocent childhoods amidst the rubble."
Hamas also accused Israel of using the kites as a "pretext" to continue airstrikes in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement reached last October.
KITES FOUND NEAR BORDER AREA
Last Friday and Saturday, four kites were found at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, approximately 800 meters from the Gaza border. According to local media, several more kites were found elsewhere in southern Israel last week.
Military sources cited in the Israeli press said they believe Hamas is behind the kites and may have sent them to test Israel's response.
Army officials stated that no suspicious materials were attached to the kites and that they posed no threat.
However, Defense Minister Katz warned of "zero tolerance," saying, "Whether with explosives or without, a balloon will be treated like a kite, and a kite will be treated like a drone."
Residents of Nahal Oz said in a statement that they fear the return of incendiary kites and balloons, adding, "When it comes to our security, we will never accept a policy of restraint against attacks."
HAMAS: KITES ARE CHILDREN'S TOYS
Hamas drew attention to the "danger of the claims and threats" from Israel, stating that the kites are "toys for children in refugee camps."
A spokesman for the group said, "These threats are based on fabricated pretexts. It is an attempt to justify the continuation of attacks and violations against our people."
Palestinian health officials reported on Sunday that two people were killed and seven wounded in two Israeli strikes on the Nuseirat Refugee Camp and the town of Az-Zawayda in central Gaza.
According to local media, a four-year-old child named Muhammad Taha was killed in a strike on a building in Az-Zawayda, just north of the Maghazi Refugee Camp.
ISRAELI MILITARY: HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED
The Israeli military, meanwhile, announced that it had killed the commander of a Hamas weapons production facility in the Maghazi area, identifying the slain individual as Ismail Abu Ful. The military claimed it had warned residents in advance about the evacuation.
Abu Ahmed, a Gazan who had taken shelter near the area where the strike was carried out, told the Reuters news agency, "There is no ceasefire, there is nothing. We want a solution, we want to live in peace."
Palestinian media on Monday also reported that a man named Muhammad Abu Asad was killed in an Israeli strike on a tent in the city of Deir al-Balah.
The Israeli military claimed that Abu Asad was a member of Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, and had participated in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
DEATH TOLL RISING IN GAZA
Approximately 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 251 were taken hostage during the Hamas attack.
In Israel's cross-border attacks on Gaza following this assault, more than 74,420 people have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Of these, 1,288 occurred after the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025.