Katz orders forceful IDF response to Gaza kite launches

The devices crossed the Gaza border Friday and Saturday and came down in several Israeli communities, among them Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli authorities are examining a series of kite launches from Gaza after at least four crossed into Israel over two days, prompting Defense Minister Israel Katz to order the IDF to respond forcefully to any further launches toward southern communities.

The devices crossed the Gaza border Friday and Saturday and came down in several Israeli communities, among them Nahal Oz.

Investigators have not established who was responsible, but are examining possible Hamas involvement, N12 reported.

Katz called for military action against the practice rather than allowing it to develop further.

“I instructed the IDF to act immediately and forcefully against any phenomenon of launches from Gaza toward the communities of the western Negev,” Katz said in statement.

While the IDF determined that the kites recovered so far were harmless, security officials are investigating the purpose of the launches. “No suspicious findings were identified on the kites,” the military said, adding that “at no stage was there any danger to the public.”

One focus of the investigation is the length of the strings found attached to the kites, with some stretching several kilometers.

N12 reported that officials are considering several possibilities, including that the devices were being used to gather intelligence or experiment with technology that could later be incorporated into fiber-optic drones. Such drones have recently been used on the northern front with Lebanon.

The appearance of kites from Gaza has particular significance for border communities because of their use during the 2018 protests.

What initially appeared to be a simple tactic later developed into the use of kites and balloons carrying incendiary devices that set fire to fields in southern Israel.

The latest incidents led at least one community to caution residents against handling unidentified objects because they could potentially carry explosives or incendiary materials.

Residents and regional officials urged authorities not to allow the launches to become routine.

“This is exactly how escalation begins again — we must not ignore it and contain it again,” residents warned.

The head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council similarly urged action at an early stage.

“If we want to put an end to the phenomenon when it is just beginning, we must cut it off at the initial stage and strike with force over every kite,” he said.