(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) UN rejects Israel’s threat to expel Gaza residents over kite-flying | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/26/un-rejects-israels-threat-to-expel-gaza-residents-over-kite-flying)                                                (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/8/26/un-rejects-israels-threat-to-expel-gaza-residents-over-kite-flying)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GettyImages-2291482253-1787729565.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GettyImages-2291482253-1787729565.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.25927f0e.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~9c0c5d0c.c65718e9.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blog-container~containers~72501995.3d2cbba2.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~pages/amp-article~pages/article-page~493df0b3.1e546aab.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.5839b1ed.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (un-rejects-israels-threat-to-expel-gaza-residents-over-kite-flying@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        Navigation menu caret-left    (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-palestine-conflict/) Israel-Palestine conflict    (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/6/9/shackled-bleeding-raped-palestinians-describe-abuse-in-israels-prisons) Shackled, bleeding, raped: Abuse in Israeli prisons   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/1/this-is-an-apartheid-regime-critics-decry-israels-new-death-penalty-law) ‘This is an apartheid regime’   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/did-netanyahu-really-defy-trump-in-bombing-iran) Does Trump have real leverage over Netanyahu?   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Listen   Listen (2 mins)       Save       Share ‘Outrageous’: UN condemns Israeli threat to expel Gaza residents over kites on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fbid26a) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%98Outrageous%E2%80%99%3A%20UN%20condemns%20Israeli%20threat%20to%20expel%20Gaza%20residents%20over%20kites&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fbid26a) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fbid26a) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/bid26a)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (Palestinian children hold kites during a gathering at Gaza Port)   Palestinian children hold kites during a gathering at Gaza Port on August 25, 2026 [Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images]   (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458)     By  (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458) Al Jazeera Staff , AFPand Reuters   Published On 26 Aug 2026 26 Aug 2026    The United Nations has condemned Israel’s threat to expel Palestinians from areas of the besieged Gaza Strip where kites were being flown by children. “On the threat of expulsion due to children’s kite flying, I hope we can all agree that this is outrageous,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/how-israels-netanyahu-weaponises-religion-in-his-war-rhetoric) How Israel’s Netanyahu weaponises religion in his war rhetoric  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/8/25/no-the-democratic-party-is-not-shifting-on-israel) No, the Democratic Party is not shifting on Israel  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/seven-killed-in-gaza-as-israeli-strike-destroys-aid-supply-warehouse) Seven killed in Gaza as Israeli strike ‘destroys’ aid supply warehouse   end of list  Israel warned Hamas on Sunday that it would (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/24/israel-accused-of-using-kites-as-pretext-to-justify-escalating-gaza-attacks) intensify military operations if kites, drones or balloons continue, saying those responsible would be targeted. Several kites not carrying incendiary devices were reported to have drifted into southern Israeli communities over the last month. The incidents have evoked memories of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza in 2018, in what Palestinians said was a protest against the Israeli blockade of the enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a joint statement on Sunday, said “Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not cease immediately”, Israeli forces “will take action to intensify targeted operations against those responsible”. They “will evacuate the population from areas from which kites, drones and balloons are launched”, it added.      Gaza’s popular committees, coordinating with Hamas authorities, urged parents on Monday to stop children flying kites, saying they were acting “to protect their innocent lives”. “Every summer, my kid, Ahmed, and the kids in the street fly those kites to entertain themselves,” Umm Mohammed, a mother in Gaza City, told the Reuters news agency. “But [now] I will not allow him to – not any more.” Advertisement    Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, rejected the Israeli warning over the kites. “Is it conceivable that attempts to appease the war criminal Netanyahu have led them to describe innocent children’s activities as armed activities, while Netanyahu continues to kill and destroy daily despite the agreement?” The dispute comes amid a “ceasefire” in Gaza that has failed to halt Israeli attacks. More than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed since the agreement took effect in October, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.            aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss       (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network