Trump-backed Gaza peace board warns Hamas over kites after Israeli threat
The US-led board overseeing the Gaza ceasefire has told Hamas to stop flying kites after Israel threatened to escalate operations, while the UN called the threats over children's kites unacceptable.
The board established by President Donald Trump to oversee the Gaza ceasefire issued a warning to Hamas on Tuesday, demanding an end to all militant activity, including the flying of kites. An unnamed official said the message had been passed directly to Hamas through the board's established communication channel. The official added that Israel, too, must respect the truce, stressing that military action should only be used in response to genuine, imminent threats.
The warning followed comments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, who said Israel would intensify operations in Gaza if kites, drones or balloons continued to be launched. His remarks came after reports that several kites had turned up near communities in southern Israel close to the Gaza border — areas still marked by the trauma of the October 7, 2023 attacks. The incident recalled earlier years when incendiary kites and balloons were regularly flown from Gaza. There is no indication the recent kites carried explosives, though Israeli media reported that at least one bore a political message.
Hamas official Basem Naim reacted angrily, accusing those behind the warning of branding children's harmless activity as militant action while Netanyahu continues daily strikes. The United Nations also weighed in, with rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani telling reporters in Geneva that threats tied to children flying kites were outrageous.
The peace board was created after Trump declared a ceasefire in October. Since then, Israel has pushed slightly further into Gaza territory and continued strikes that Hamas-run health authorities say have killed 1,288 Palestinians — figures the UN generally regards as reliable. Gaza officials reported at least five deaths, including two children, from Israeli fire on Monday. Netanyahu, who faces elections in October, recently rejected the next stage of the peace plan despite Hamas saying it had agreed to disarm, instead demanding that a US general oversee verification of the weapons' destruction. The board subsequently softened an earlier call for a phased Israeli withdrawal, telling Netanyahu troops could stay until Hamas is fully disarmed.
