Authorities in Gaza have warned parents against allowing children to fly kites, after Israel threatened to take what it described as “powerful actions” to stop the activity in the besieged enclave.
Local committees said they were working to prevent children from flying kites, not to further restrict their childhood, but out of concern for their safety amid the Israeli threat, according to reports.
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“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 committees said in a statement.
The warning came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X on Monday that “powerful actions” would be taken to prevent children in Gaza from flying kites.
Katz's remarks have raised concerns among Palestinian authorities and residents, particularly because kites are a common form of recreation for children in Gaza.
The Israeli warning is linked to earlier incidents in which kites and balloons were used to carry incendiary devices from Gaza into Israel.
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During protests in 2018, such devices sparked fires across Israeli forests and agricultural land and were used as a means of protesting Israel's blockade of Gaza.
However, there has been no evidence presented that the kites currently being flown by children in Gaza are carrying explosives or incendiary devices.
Hamas has accused Israel of using the issue as a pretext to continue military operations in Gaza, alleging that the threat against children reflects the broader restrictions imposed on civilians in the territory.
The latest warning comes as Gaza's children continue to face severe restrictions on daily life, with access to safe spaces for play and recreation already heavily constrained by the ongoing conflict.
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