Israel accused of using kites as pretext to justify escalating Gaza attacks
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Israel killed three Palestinians, including a four-year-old child, in air strikes on central Gaza on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened severe retaliation over the alleged launching of paper kites from the enclave. The strikes came despite the Israeli military acknowledging that the recovered kites contained no explosives and were flown by children.
Key Facts
- A four-year-old child, Muhammad Abdel Salam Taha, was among three Palestinians killed in Israeli air attacks in central Gaza on Sunday.
- Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement threatening severe retaliation over the alleged launching of kites, drones, and balloons.
- The Israeli military acknowledged that the recovered kites contained no explosives and were flown by children in displacement camps.
- The joint statement threatened the forced displacement of Palestinians from areas used as launch sites for kites, drones, and balloons.
- Palestinian political analyst Hussam Shaheen told Al Jazeera that claims regarding drones being launched from Gaza are fabricated.
Sunday Strikes
Israel fired missiles at a warehouse in az-Zawayda, reducing it to rubble, and then carried out strikes near Salah al-Din Street, killing four-year-old Muhammad Abdel Salam Taha. Israeli drone attacks also targeted southern Khan Younis and a tent sheltering displaced people at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, resulting in more casualties. Standing amid the destruction in az-Zawayda, witness Abu Ahmed expressed widespread despair over the relentless violence. "There is no ceasefire; there is nothing. We want solutions; we want to live in peace," he said.
Kite Pretext Allegations
Palestinian and Israeli affairs experts warn that the government is fabricating a security crisis around children's toys to derail ceasefire agreements, enforce demographic changes and ensure Netanyahu's political survival. While the joint statement cited "kites, drones, and balloons", military inspections confirmed finding only 10 paper kites – all completely free of explosives and flown by children in displacement camps. Palestinian political analyst Hussam Shaheen told Al Jazeera that claims regarding drones being launched from Gaza are fabricated. "It is a false and baseless assertion; it is non-existent. It has been denied, and there is no evidence whatsoever to prove any connection to drones," he said. Adel Shadid, an expert on Israeli affairs, told Al Jazeera that the threat is entirely manufactured by Hebrew media under the direction of the military establishment.
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Israel accused of using kites as pretext to justify escalating Gaza attacks
