Israel Katz: "Act against Gaza kites, including elimination of Hamas leaders"

Minister of Defense Israel Katz announced on Sunday that he has instructed the IDF to "act with force" against the launching of balloons, kites, and drones from Gaza towards communities in the Gaza envelope.

"All necessary measures must be taken, including the elimination of Hamas leaders responsible for the launches and the operatives themselves, the evacuation of neighborhoods from which the launches are carried out, and action against the terrorist infrastructure on the ground," the minister stated.

Katz further declared that the defense establishment views every launch as an act of war in every respect, and that anyone who organizes or facilitates these launches will be dealt with with the utmost severity.

The remarks follow the discovery of four kites in the Western Negev. Residents of the Gaza envelope are demanding an immediate response from the military: "The army must locate and deal with every kite on time. Not after it has landed, not in retrospect. In real time."

Uri Epstein, head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, noted that the kites were found with strings stretching for kilometers. He emphasized that these events must not become a routine that the security establishment learns to live with.

"A kite that crosses into Israeli territory is an incident that requires a response. When there is no response, the message sent to the other side is that they can continue. We must not make this mistake again. We demand an immediate investigation and assurance that a response is activated on time, not after the event is over," Epstein said.

He added that after October 7, residents will no longer accept assurances that "it will be fine." He noted that threats are constantly evolving, and the IDF's response must precede them rather than chase after them.