Katz Orders Response to Gaza Paper Drones via Assassinations and Evacuations

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued orders on Sunday for the Israeli military to respond to operations launching paper drones from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli settlements adjacent to Gaza, including targeting leaders of the Hamas movement behind them.

In a statement, Katz said he "directed decisive action against the phenomenon of launching balloons, paper drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles from Gaza toward settlements," according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The statement added that "Katz directed taking all necessary steps to prevent such actions, including targeting Hamas leaders and operatives responsible for launch operations, the perpetrators themselves, and issuing evacuation orders for neighborhoods and areas from which launches are conducted."

Katz’s statement emphasized that "every launch operation is considered a military act in every sense of the term, and any individual who organizes, launches, or facilitates such operations will be dealt with immediately and with full seriousness."

Over recent days, the Israeli military has recorded operations launching paper drones from the Gaza Strip that landed in Nahal Oz, adjacent to eastern Gaza City.

These drone launches have raised concerns among Israelis in communities surrounding the Gaza Strip, due to their connection with infiltration attempts by Hamas militants using glider aircraft during the October 7, 2023 attack, and earlier use of incendiary balloons to target Israeli agricultural fields near Gaza.