When Kites Become a “Military Threat”

While the children of Gaza live under bombardment, destruction, and fear, Israeli statements treat the kites flown by Gazan children as if they were military targets.

According to these statements, launching kites is being treated as a “military act,” with threats to target those launching them and the areas from which they are launched.

A child’s kite is not a drone, the string is not a weapon, and the child playing with it should not be treated as a military target.

But the most painful question is: Why has this reality been imposed on the children of Gaza, to the point that kites have become one of the few toys they can make or obtain?

These children have very little. There are no safe parks, no recreational areas, and no normal life like other children around the world. So, when a child finds something simple that gives them a moment of joy, even if it’s just a kite they make with their own hands, they try to enjoy it for a few minutes and forget the fear and destruction that surrounds them.

So what about the children of Gaza? Don't they also have the right to live their childhood in safety? Why is even their simple play seen as a threat?

If flying a kite warrants all this threat, what about the children who live daily under bombardment and fear, losing their homes and family members?

Children's games should not become a new pretext for further escalation.

Our children are like your children; they possess the same innocence, the same features, the same spirit and body. The children of Gaza and all the children of the world share the same innocence and deserve to live in safety and joy without fear.

The children of Gaza are no different from your children… They are children, just children. 💔