A Palestinian child flies a kite in Gaza. Photo: X
Gaza: Kites flown by children in Gaza have become the latest flashpoint in the conflict, with Israel threatening intensified military action over kites, balloons and drones launched towards its territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on Sunday that Israel would step up targeted strikes against those responsible if the launches continued. They also threatened to evacuate areas in Gaza identified as launch sites.
The Israeli military said four kites found near Nahal Oz over the weekend contained no suspicious material and posed no danger to the public.
For children in Gaza, however, flying a kite offers a brief escape from years of war, displacement and destruction.
Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini, in a post on X, shared the experience of her 12-year-old nephew, Nazeeh, who flew a kite for the first time during a family visit to the beach.
Hussaini said Nazeeh had grown up during years of conflict, learning practical skills such as collecting water, gathering firewood and moving between shelters instead of enjoying many ordinary childhood experiences.
At the beach, he watched other children flying kites and wanted to try it himself. His family eventually bought him a handmade kite from a boy who made them from nylon and sticks and sold them for pocket money.
Hussaini taught Nazeeh how to fly the kite. She said he became excited each time it climbed higher, repeatedly asking her to let it rise further.
The experience did not end there. Nazeeh later watched online tutorials and made another kite himself. He used different nylon, added a Palestinian flag and wrote “Gaza” on its sides.
His parents later stopped him from flying it outside the house amid the Israeli warnings.
Hussaini questioned how a child could understand why a simple toy had become linked to military threats.
Taking to X, Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Bisan Owda also reacted to the controversy, saying the issue was not simply about a kite but about what it represents.
Owda described kites as symbols of “freedom, flight, and hope”. She argued that the response to them reflected a wider desire to control Palestinnians’ lives, thoughts and even their sky.
She criticised the threats against children over kite flying, describing those who would threaten a child over a kite as “monsters”.
Owda’s comments come against a backdrop in which kite flying has previously been used by Palestinian children as a way to find moments of joy and normality amid displacement.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem rejected Israel’s warnings, describing the kites as children’s toys used in displacement camps. He accused Israel of seeking to use the issue to justify further attacks and said the threats amounted to targeting children.
The dispute comes amid continued violence in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire. Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least two Palestinians, including a four-year-old boy, and wounded seven others, according to Palestinian health officials cited by Reuters. Israel said the strikes followed launches of balloons, drones and kites from Gaza.
The latest controversy has placed an ordinary form of childhood play at the centre of the conflict, highlighting how war continues to shape even the simplest activities for children in Gaza.
This post was last modified on August 24, 2026 7:07 pm