Military told to act forcefully against Gaza kites

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the IDF to “act forcefully” against the launching of kites from the Gaza Strip in recent days.

Over the weekend, at least four kites flown from Gaza landed in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The army said nothing suspicious was found on the kites and there was no danger to the public, but many have associated the objects with Gazan kites and balloons carrying incendiary devices that plagued southern Israel in previous years.

“I instructed the IDF to act immediately and forcefully against any phenomenon of launches from Gaza toward the communities of the western Negev,” Katz says in statement.

Katz says he views “every launch as an act of war in every respect, and are committed to the absolute protection of the Israeli communities.”

“A balloon is treated like a kite, and a kite is treated like a drone — with or without explosives,” he says.

“Anyone who organizes, launches, or enables the launches will be dealt with immediately and with the utmost severity,” Katz adds.

From 2018, Palestinian terrorists regularly launched kites and balloons carrying incendiary devices into Israel, setting fires in border communities and sparking blazes on wide swaths of land.