Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held a situation assessment on Sunday regarding the threat posed by drones, balloons and kites being launched from Gaza toward Israel. The meeting was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the National Security Council director, and senior IDF officials.
In a joint statement, the two said: “Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not stop immediately, the IDF will intensify targeted strikes against those responsible for the launches and evacuate civilians from areas from which kites, drones and balloons are launched. The prime minister made clear that we will not return to the reality that existed before October 7. Israel will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization or any other entity in the Gaza Strip to once again threaten our communities and undermine the sense of security of our citizens.”
Earlier, his office announced that Katz had “instructed the IDF to act forcefully against the launching of balloons, kites or drones from Gaza toward communities near the Gaza border, and to take all necessary measures to prevent such launches, including targeting senior Hamas officials responsible for the launches and the operatives carrying them out, evacuating neighborhoods and areas from which launches are conducted, and taking action against the local terrorist infrastructure.”
The minister said: “We view every launch as an act of war in every respect, and anyone who organizes, carries out or facilitates these launches will be dealt with immediately and with the utmost severity. A balloon is treated the same as a kite, and a kite the same as a drone—whether or not it carries explosives.”
Sderot Mayor and chairman of the Western Negev Cluster of Municipalities Alon Davidi called on the IDF to respond forcefully to the launching of kites from the Gaza Strip toward communities near the Gaza border, after several were found in Israeli territory over the past week.
“Kites crossing from Gaza toward the communities near the Gaza border, alongside attempts and initiatives by Hamas operatives to challenge IDF soldiers and the security situation on the ground, must receive an immediate and resolute response,” he said. “Anyone who tries to test our limits must immediately encounter the strength of the IDF.”
Davidi added that Israel must continue to hold the Yellow Line inside the Gaza Strip and prevent Hamas from approaching it in a way that could endanger the troops and residents of the area. “We are not waiting for the threat to materialize. We are pursuing Hamas terrorists, everywhere and at all times,” he said.
In recent days, several kites believed to have crossed from the Gaza Strip have been spotted. The IDF said that yesterday, a kite was found near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and three more were discovered during searches conducted this morning. “No suspicious findings were found on the kites,” the IDF said, emphasizing that “at no point was the public in danger.”
The incidents sparked criticism in communities across the western Negev, given Hamas’s previous use of incendiary balloons and kites. The IDF Southern Command emphasized that, alongside its ongoing operations in the area, 13 Hamas operatives, including field commanders, have been killed over the past week.