Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Hamas that Israel will intensify targeted operations if it continues to launch drones, balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip at Israel.
That comes as tensions on the Gaza border and accusations from Hamas are growing that Israel is using the incidents to justify further attacks.
Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz held a security review last Sunday with senior military and security officials to discuss the reported launches.
Israeli authorities said some kites, drones and balloons had crossed from Gaza to Israel in recent days. Israeli officials warned the launches were a security threat and said action would be taken against those responsible if they continued.
Israel also warned residents of areas that could be used as launch sites to evacuate. Netanyahu said Israel would not return to the security situation before the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack and said his government would act to protect Israeli communities near Gaza.
The issue has caught everybody’s attention because some of the kites Israeli forces recovered were said to not carry explosives or other suspicious material.
Israeli officials insist the incidents are being taken seriously because kites and balloons have been used to ferry incendiary material into southern Israel and caused fires and damage to agricultural areas.
Hamas has rejected Israel’s accusations and denied responsibility for the latest launches. Hamas said some of the kites were launched by children living in Gaza, and accused Israel of using the incidents as a pretext for escalating military operations.
Hamas has also called on international mediators and the United Nations to pressure Israel to halt what it said was a growing escalation.
The dispute comes as the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile. Israeli strikes on August 23 killed at least two people, including a four-year-old boy, Palestinian health officials said. Seven others were wounded, they said. Israeli officials said the strikes were in response to attacks from Gaza and more evidence of Hamas military activity.
The tension is a reminder that the ceasefire is still under threat and the future of Gaza is far from settled. Negotiations are still complicated when Hamas disarmament, Israeli military positions and reconstruction plans are not resolved.
The warnings from Netanyahu and the accusations from Hamas right now just show how quickly small incidents along the Gaza border can trigger broader security concerns.
More attacks or Israeli military reaction would undermine the fragile ceasefire and complicate international efforts to prevent major fighting from erupting again.
