CAIRO: Parents in Gaza have been warned to stop their children flying kites in the war-ravaged enclave, after Israel threatened a forceful response if the Hamas revives a tactic of launching incendiary kites over the border.

The popular committees, comprising representatives of local non-government organisations and charities that run Gaza displacement camps and shelters, issued the warning in a statement late on Monday.

The announcement was coordinated with Hamas authorities, a source in the group said.

“We are working tirelessly on the ground and doing everything possible to stop this practice, not to restrict the childhood of our children, who have already been deprived of the most basic rights to play and live in safety, but to protect their innocent lives,” the statement said.

Israelis scared by kites

In the past month, several kites that were not reported to be carrying incendiary materials were spotted drifting from Gaza into Israel, alarming Israelis who live in the nearby villages.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas that unless that stopped immediately, “those responsible” for launching kites, balloons or drones towards Israel would be targets of assassination and that areas from which they are sent will be ordered to evacuate.

Umm Mohammed, a mother from Gaza City, said she was worried her son could be hurt.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2026