Prominent Palestinian resistance factions, Hamasd and Islamic Jihad said that the Zionist entity has overreacted to the burning kites released from the Gaza strip into occupied territories.
Hazem Qasem, a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, told The Media Line that kites are “a public tool, spontaneously set off by the residents of Gaza, to peacefully [sic] protest their plight
He noted that the humanitarian situation in the enclave has led to the weaponization of a child’s toy carrying a lethal payload.
“It’s the unprecedented situation that cannot be tolerated,” he stressed, explaining that Gaza suffers from a lack of drinking water, electricity, and jobs.
Qasem added that the “Israeli government is embarrassed” because it has failed to deal with the “Return Marches,” resorting to the use of excessive force against young protestors.
“We are used to Israel responding violently to any kind of resistance,” he said, according to Israeli daily, The Jerusalem Post.
“Israel has killed about one hundred Palestinians and injured thousands in the marches, while no harm whatsoever was done to Israeli soldiers manning the border, Qasem said, referring to at least 135 Palestinian martyrs who have been killed during the “Return Marches” at the border between Gaza and the occupied territories.
The kite launches began in April, shortly after the residents of Gaza organized the marches, which are now weekly demonstrations. Protestors are demanding the right of return to land occupied by the Zionists.
For his part, Dahoud Shihab, an Islamic Jihad Spokesperson in Gaza, told The Media Line that the Zionist entity is overreacting to the kites.
“The aim is to create excuses for a military escalation against the Return Marches,” he said.
The kites, he stressed, are set-off by Palestinian individuals who are not part of an official political campaign.
“The Israeli occupation tries to show the world that these kites come as part of an organized effort. That is false,” he stated.
He argued that Palestinians have the right to use any form of peaceful protest to raise their voices against their unfair situation.
“These kites carry pictures of Palestinian martyrs, prisoners and injured kids, women and the elderly,” Shihab said.
Source: Israeli media
