The United Nations (UN) has strongly criticized Israel's threat to forcibly evacuate Palestinian communities in the besieged Gaza Strip due to children flying kites. UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani described the potential expulsion as "outrageous" during a press briefing on Tuesday. The controversy erupted when Israel warned Hamas that it would escalate military operations if kites, drones, or balloons continued to be launched from Gaza, targeting those responsible. Over the past month, several kites without incendiary devices have reportedly drifted into southern Israeli communities. The incidents revived memories of incendiary kites and balloons sent from Gaza in 2018, which Palestinians saw as a protest against Israel's blockade of the enclave. In response to the Israeli warning, Gaza's popular committees advised parents to halt children from flying kites for safety reasons. Meanwhile, Hamas politburo member Basem Naim dismissed the threat, questioning whether attempts to placate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had led Israel to label innocent children's activities as armed. The dispute arises amid a "ceasefire" in Gaza that has not halted Israeli attacks, resulting in over 1,280 Palestinian fatalities since October, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.