Local committees comprising social and welfare organisations have appealed to parents to prevent their children from flying kites to protect them from potential danger.
The appeal followed a warning by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that those who send kites, balloons or drones from Gaza toward Israel would face severe action, with evacuation orders potentially issued for the areas concerned.
A mother in Gaza City said her 10-year-old son used to fly kites with other children in the neighbourhood every summer, but she would no longer allow him to do so because of the fear of possible Israeli action.
In a statement, local committees said the decision was not intended to restrict children’s freedom but to protect their lives from potential risks. They noted that children in Gaza had already been deprived of a safe life and their basic right to play.
Israel has said kites heading toward its border pose security concerns, while Hamas has accused Israel of seeking new justifications for military operations.
For Gaza’s children, the situation has become another painful reality of the war, which has already taken away their homes, schools and sense of security and now threatens even the simple joy of flying kites.