World News
Israeli strikes kill three in Gaza following warnings over kites and drones
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened retaliation after military inspections recovered non-explosive paper kites.
The short version
- Israeli air attacks killed three Palestinians, including a four-year-old child, in central and southern Gaza on Sunday.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz warned of retaliation and forced displacement over kites, drones, and balloons sent from Gaza.
- The Israeli military confirmed that recovered items consisted of 10 paper kites flown by children in displacement camps, none of which carried explosives.
- Political analysts cited in reporting contend that the Israeli government is using the incident as a pretext to avoid ceasefire commitments and rally political support.
Key facts
- Israeli strikes on Sunday hit a warehouse in az-Zawayda, areas near Salah al-Din Street, southern Khan Younis, and a tent at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, killing three Palestinians including a four-year-old child.[Al Jazeera]
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement threatening severe retaliation and forced displacement from locations where kites, drones, and balloons are launched.[Al Jazeera]
- The Israeli military reported that retrieved items were limited to 10 paper kites flown by children in displacement camps, which contained no explosives.[Al Jazeera]
- Palestinian political analyst Hussam Shaheen rejected assertions of drone launches from Gaza, describing them as baseless.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- It remains disputed whether any drones or explosive airborne objects were actually launched from Gaza alongside the recovered paper kites.[Al Jazeera]