A kite allegedly used to carry a Molotov cocktail from the Gaza Strip hangs on a tree in southern Israel on June 5, 2018. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday threatened a military response against Hamas as a new batch of kites landing in Israel has raised alarms. File Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA
Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have warned Hamas of military escalation if the Palestinians do not stop sending children's kites into Israeli territory.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, the Israeli leaders said the Israel Defense Forces "will act to increase targeted strikes against those responsible" and "evacuate the population" from areas in Gaza used as launch sites for kites, drones and balloons.
The warning came after a "situational assessment" attended by top national security and military officials.
"There will be no return to the state of affairs prior to October 7," Netanyahu and Katz said. "Israel will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization or any other element in the Gaza Strip to threaten our communities again and compromise our citizens' sense of security."
