UN rejects Israel’s threat to expel Gaza residents over kite-flying

What the report says

The United Nations has criticized an Israeli warning that residents of parts of Gaza could be expelled if kites, drones or balloons continue to be launched from those areas. According to Al Jazeera, UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani called the threat “outrageous” during remarks to reporters on Tuesday, framing the issue as a possible forced displacement of civilians over children’s kite flying.

Al Jazeera reported that the warning followed incidents in which some kites, not carrying incendiary material, drifted into southern Israeli communities over the past month. Israel said on Sunday that it would intensify military operations if the launches continued and named those responsible as possible targets. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said forces would act against people linked to the launches and would evacuate populations from areas where such objects were sent.

The episode has revived memories of earlier cross-border kite and balloon incidents from Gaza in 2018, which Palestinians described as protest activity against the blockade. Hamas-linked Gaza committees urged parents to stop children from flying kites, while a Hamas official rejected Israel’s warning. Al Jazeera noted that the dispute is unfolding during a ceasefire period that has not stopped violence in Gaza, with Gaza’s health ministry saying more than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed since the agreement began in October.