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Kites Found Near Border
Four kites were found since Friday in areas including Kibbutz Nahal Oz and Be’eri along the Gaza border, as residents in Gaza border communities called on the defense establishment to investigate their origin.
“Four kites have been found since Friday in the areas of Kibbutz Nahal Oz and Be’eri”
Israel’s IDF said no suspicious objects were attached to the kites and that they did not pose a danger to the population, while the incidents nonetheless raised concern because residents recalled earlier waves of kite terrorism.
Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to respond immediately and decisively to kite launches from the Gaza Strip toward nearby Israeli communities, and he said he considers “each launch as an act of war in every sense.”
The Media Line reported that Israeli security officials were investigating whether Hamas sent at least four kites across the Gaza border Friday and Saturday to gather intelligence or experiment with methods for future attacks, with the kites landing in communities near the Gaza Strip including Nahal Oz.
Threats and Divergent Framing
Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council head Uri Epstein demanded that the IDF act against every kite that crosses into Israeli territory and deal with it “in real time-even before it lands in Israeli territory,” warning that “When there is no response, the message to the other side is that they can continue.”
In a statement cited by Israel Hayom, Katz said he instructed the Israeli army to “act forcefully” against balloon and kite launches from Gaza and to take measures to prevent their recurrence.
The Media Line described residents’ concern as reminiscent of the October 7 invasion, quoting residents warning, “This is exactly how escalation begins again — we must not ignore it and contain it again.”
ynetglobal quoted Bar Manshuri, head of security for the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, saying, “This is not just about a kite, but about normalizing the situation,” and it framed the incidents as an early warning rather than something to dismiss.
Escalation Stakes
Katz’s directive, as described by i24NEWS, orders the IDF to respond “immediately and with force” to any balloons, kites, or drones launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli communities in the western Negev, and it says the directive includes targeting Hamas leaders involved in organizing the launches.
“respond “immediately and with force” to any balloons, kites, or drones launched from the Gaza Strip”
i24NEWS also reported that Katz instructed the IDF to prepare for the evacuation of neighborhoods or areas from which the devices are launched and to take action against the infrastructure used to facilitate the launches, while Katz said, “We will not allow a return to the reality that existed before October 7.”
Middle East Eye reported that Netanyahu’s office warned Hamas it would intensify strikes in Gaza if drones, balloons and kites continue to be launched toward Israeli settlements, and it said Katz’s measures would include targeting Hamas commanders “responsible for the launches” and displacing residents from neighbourhoods where the kites were launched.
The Jewish Chronicle linked the current kite incidents to the 2018 arson attacks, saying incendiary kites and balloons in that period resulted in severe property and ecological damage, and it quoted Epstein calling for action “Not after it lands. Not after the fact. In real time.”