Children's kites in Gaza dismantled over Israeli threats

Some parents said children in Gaza are dismantling their kites after Israel threatened to ramp up strikes as the toys keep flying into southern Israel.

In the past, kites and balloons have been set aflame and launched across the Gaza border, igniting fields and property in Israeli communities. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has downplayed the danger the kites pose.

In tents near the Mediterranean Sea in southern Gaza, kids dismantled the plastic, cloth and wood contraptions as adults looked on.

“They’ve lost their simple dreams, their education, their childhood, the simple things they used to enjoy,” lamented resident Atiya Abu Samhan.