Israel warns Hamas to halt Gaza kite launches or face action

Kites flown from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over the weekend prompted a sharp warning from Israeli leaders, who threatened intensified military action against Hamas if the launches did not cease immediately. The incident, involving several simple kites found in border communities, has raised security concerns and echoed memories of past arson attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces reported locating four kites that crossed the border between Friday and Saturday. One was found near Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Friday, and three others were discovered the following morning. Subsequent reports indicated a total of around 10 kites had been recovered in recent days, with one shot down by the army on Sunday. Military officials stated that no explosives or incendiary materials were attached to any of the kites and that they posed no direct danger to the public. However, the Israeli military assesses that the launches were directed by Hamas, which it believes may have been testing Israel's response.

In a joint statement on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had convened a security assessment with senior military and intelligence officials....