UN Condemns Israeli Threats to Expel Gaza Residents Over Children's Kite-Flying

Palestinian children hold kites during a gathering at Gaza Port on August 25, 2026. The United Nations has strongly condemned Israel's warning that it would expel Palestinians from parts of the besieged Gaza Strip where children have been flying kites.

“On the threat of expulsion due to children’s kite flying, I hope we can all agree that this is outrageous,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN rights office, told reporters on Tuesday.

The warning came after Israel cautioned Hamas on Sunday that military operations would intensify if the launching of kites, drones, or balloons persists, stating that those involved would become targets. Over the past month, several non-incendiary kites were reported drifting into southern Israeli communities. These events recalled similar tactics from 2018 when incendiary devices were launched from Gaza during protests against the Israeli blockade.

In a joint statement issued Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that if launches toward Israel do not stop immediately, forces will intensify targeted operations against individuals responsible and "will evacuate the population from areas from which kites, drones and balloons are launched."

In response to the tensions, Gaza’s popular committees working with Hamas authorities urged parents on Monday to prevent their children from flying kites to safeguard them. Umm Mohammed, a Gaza City mother, told Reuters that while her son Ahmed and neighborhood children usually fly kites for summer entertainment, she will no longer allow it.

Meanwhile, Basem Naim, a political bureau member for Hamas, dismissed the Israeli warnings regarding the kites. The ongoing dispute unfolds against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that has failed to stop Israeli attacks, with the Gaza Ministry of Health reporting that more than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed since the agreement began in October.