Gaza Parents Warned to Stop Children Flying Kites After Israeli Threats
FlatRigor 5918 sources
The Story
Parents in the Gaza Strip have been warned to stop their children from flying kites after Israel threatened a forceful response if Hamas revives the tactic of launching incendiary kites over the border. The popular committees, comprising representatives of local non-government organizations, issued the warning in a statement late on Monday, coordinated with Hamas authorities. The statement emphasized efforts to stop the practice not to restrict the childhood of our children. But to protect their innocent lives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas on Sunday that those responsible for launching kites, balloons, or drones toward Israel would be targets of assassination, and areas from which they are sent would be ordered to evacuate. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Monday that any kite or balloon crossing into Israeli territory would be treated the same as a drone, with or without explosives. This follows the sighting of several kites, not reported to be carrying incendiary materials, drifting from Gaza into Israel over the past month. Israelis in nearby villages, which came under attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, expressed alarm. A senior Israeli defense official stated Hamas is trying to provoke Israel by encouraging kite flying. Hamas official Bassem Naim rejected the claims, stating the kites were launched from Gaza by children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble. The United Nations condemned Israel's threat to expel people from areas where kites are launched, with UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani calling it outrageous. Umm Mohammed, a mother from Gaza City, expressed worry her 10-year-old son, Ahmed, could be hurt and would no longer allow him to fly kites. In 2018, Gazans sent incendiary balloons and kites over the border, causing fires across hundreds of acres of open fields and farmlands, in protest of the Israeli blockade.
The Spread
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What they agree on
- Parents in the Gaza Strip have been warned to stop their children from flying kites.
- The warning follows threats from Israel of a forceful response if kites, balloons, or drones are launched from Gaza.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that those responsible for launches would be targeted and areas of origin evacuated.
- Several kites, not reported to be incendiary, have been spotted drifting from Gaza into Israel over the past month.
- Hamas has accused Israel of using the kites as a pretext for continued aggression, while Israel claims Hamas is trying to provoke it.
Where they split
- The Jerusalem Post and Jewish News Syndicate focus on the Israeli perspective, including protests by Gaza border residents and the IDF's dismantling of Hamas weapon facilities.
- RTE News and The Independent highlight the United Nations' condemnation of Israel's threats, describing the rhetoric as "unacceptable" and "outrageous."
- Al-Monitor and The National (Scotland) include details about recent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, with reports of casualties including children, and Hamas's accusation that Israel is using kites to justify these attacks.
- Reuters and The Straits Times emphasize the warning issued to Gaza parents by local non-government organizations and Hamas authorities, including a quote from a Gaza mother.
Source Perspectives
Left5 sources
Center12 sources
Right1 source