Parents in Gaza have been urged to prevent their children from flying kites after Israel warned it could respond militarily if kites, balloons or drones continue drifting across the border.
Popular committees representing local NGOs and charities that operate displacement camps and shelters across Gaza issued the warning late Monday, saying the measure was intended to protect children from possible Israeli retaliation.
A Hamas source said the announcement had been coordinated with the authorities in Gaza.
The committees said they were trying to stop the practice not to deprive children of recreation, but because of fears that kite flying could expose them and surrounding communities to danger.
The issue has revived memories of 2018, when Palestinians in Gaza launched incendiary kites and balloons across the border, setting fire to fields and farmland in southern Israel during protests against the blockade of the enclave.
In recent weeks, several kites have again been seen drifting from Gaza into Israel. There were no reports that the latest kites were carrying incendiary materials, but their appearance has alarmed residents of Israeli communities near the border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that anyone responsible for launching kites, balloons or drones toward Israel could be targeted, while areas from which they are launched could face evacuation orders.
The warning has heightened concern among Palestinian families.
One Gaza City mother told Reuters that her 10-year-old son regularly flies kites with other children during the summer but that she would no longer allow him to do so because of the risk.
An Israeli defence official accused Hamas of encouraging the kite launches in an attempt to provoke Israel. Hamas rejected the allegation, saying Israel was using the issue as a pretext for further military action.
Israel has also raised the matter with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which oversees implementation of the 2025 Gaza ceasefire agreement.
An official with the board said militant activity in Gaza, including kite launches, must stop and that the message had been conveyed through established channels. The official also said Israel must comply with the ceasefire and limit military action to responses to genuine and imminent threats.
The dispute comes amid continuing violence despite the October 2025 ceasefire, which halted major fighting but did not completely end Israeli attacks in Gaza.
On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a militant but provided no further details.
Gaza health authorities say more than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect in October, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period.