Is the 'kite terror' returning? This is the new way Hamas is using children

Day by day, it is becoming clear that the kites flown recently toward Israel are part of an international campaign orchestrated by Hamas and its mouthpieces. It is possible that this is an attempt to test security alertness, but from the totality of events, it appears that at this stage it is mainly a transparent propaganda operation.

It is no coincidence that media outlets identified with the terrorist organization are pumping out "authentic" videos in which Gazans complain about Israel's warnings and destroy kites. For example, a Gazan child was documented this week destroying kites and calling out in anger: "So that Netanyahu will be satisfied. So that Israel Katz will be satisfied. So that Donald Trump will be satisfied. They want to deny us the thing we love." Later, in the Gaza City marina, a demonstration was organized by children who chanted: "Leave us the sky where we can fly kites." Another sign was the mobilization of Qatari channels to echo these videos.

The central message of the Hamas campaign is simple: Israel, in its search for excuses to attack the Gaza Strip, is inventing threats that do not exist. Hamas spokesman in Gaza Hazem Qassem said this in response to statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Al-Jazeera described the events with the headline: "'Kite terror'... this is how Netanyahu creates an enemy out of paper." This entire campaign is operated by an organization that carried out a mass massacre and is now engaged in rebuilding its capabilities.

Distracting the discussion

In Israel, we remember that before the massacre, Hamas flew kites to ignite agricultural fields, spread threats, and drop explosive devices. But the memory of the world's nations is short. It is difficult to explain why kites pose a threat to Israel. In this way, Hamas shifts the discussion from the fact that its terrorists, some of whom participated in the October 7 massacre, are planning to violate the ceasefire and harm IDF forces. The discussion about kite flying puts Hamas in an improved position, presenting Israel as a paranoid entity.

The overarching goal of the Hamas campaign is to increase international pressure on Israel and thus restrict its military actions. The organization defines this as forcing Israel to adhere to the temporary ceasefire. The greater the restrictions, the more easily Hamas will be able to continue rebuilding its military power. As this power is rebuilt, renewing the war against the organization will have a heavier price — and therefore the Israeli leadership will be even more deterred from the move.

Hamas's goal: destruction

The final target is an attempt to repeat the October 7 attack after learning lessons. Such a process has occurred after every round of fighting. Ghazi Hamad, a member of the negotiating team, clarified in an interview in Lebanon in late October 2023:

"Israel is a country that has no place on our land, and we want to bring about its extinction. It is considered a danger to the Arab and Islamic nation that must end. We are not ashamed of this. The Al-Aqsa Flood is only the first time, and there will be a second, third, and fourth time."

To neutralize the sting of Hamas's kite campaign, Israel must turn the tables: first, explicitly point out the frequent use of children by the terrorist organization. Second, call on Turkey and Qatar to extradite the members of its leadership who are hosted by them, led by the organization's head, Khalil al-Hayya. Such statements may put the Islamist axis on the defensive in the media.

Doha has already taken a safe distance from Hamas. Recently, senior members of the organization have been conducting meetings in Istanbul, Turkey. There is political sensitivity that Israel can exploit to damage the status of the Hamas leadership abroad.