Conflict & Security
Israel warns Hamas over Gaza kite launches
Israel warned Hamas on Sunday that it would intensify targeted operations in Gaza and evacuate people from areas used to launch kites, drones and balloons toward Israel if the launches did not stop, while Hamas denied responsibility.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued the warning after a security assessment with senior military and security officials.
Israeli media reported that four kites were found in communities near the Gaza border on Saturday and that the army shot down one kite on Sunday, bringing the number recovered in recent days to about 10. The reports said the devices did not carry explosives.
The same reports said the Israeli military believes Hamas was behind the launches and may have been testing Israel's response.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said the kites were launched by children in Gaza. Hamas separately accused Israel of using the kites as a pretext for airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday. Gaza's civil defence rescue service said three people were killed in the strikes.
The recent incidents have recalled earlier waves of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza, which set fires in agricultural areas in southern Israel in previous years.
Update
Hamas denied responsibility for the launches.
Bassem Naim said the kites were launched by children in Gaza.
Hamas accused Israel of using the kites as a pretext for airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday.
Gaza's civil defence rescue service said three people were killed in the central Gaza strikes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 August 2026 at 19:06:30 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Responsibility for the recent launches is disputed.
The Israeli media reports about the military's assessment of Hamas responsibility were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
The casualty figure from the central Gaza strikes is attributed to Gaza's civil defence rescue service.
Source
AFP news report published on .