GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Threats issued by the Israeli occupation authorities over paper planes flown by children in the Gaza Strip have sparked a wave of strong criticism in Europe, reaching the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. The controversy erupted after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to intensify military strikes on areas where such paper planes are flown, alongside drones and balloons, and to carry out forced displacement operations.
Joint Statement and Threat of Escalation
In a joint statement issued at the beginning of the week, Netanyahu and Katz announced that the Israeli occupation army would intensify its attacks in areas where paper planes are being flown and threatened to expel residents from those areas.
The announcement followed a security meeting attended by senior Israeli military and security commanders, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
According to Israeli media reports, around ten paper planes were found near the Gaza border in recent days, and the army reportedly shot down one of them.
Although the Israeli military itself has reportedly acknowledged that the paper planes contained no explosive or dangerous materials and were handmade by children in displacement camps, Israeli leaders nevertheless used the issue as a pretext for issuing threats and escalating tensions in the Gaza Strip.
The threats came amid intensified Israeli airstrikes in recent days, which killed more than 15 Palestinians in less than 48 hours.
UN: “Outrageous Threat”
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, described the Israeli threats as “outrageous.”
During her weekly briefing for journalists, she said she expected “everyone would agree that this is extremely outrageous.”
She added that the latest statements by the Israeli leadership were merely the most recent in a series of remarks and confirmed that the commissioner’s office was “still seeing unacceptable rhetoric from the highest levels of the Israeli authorities,” reflecting what she described as “complete disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights” and encouraging violence reaching the level of grave crimes.
Shamdasani renewed calls on countries around the world to exert pressure to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and to hold those responsible for violations accountable.
European Institutions and Media React
Alongside the UN position, European institutions and solidarity organizations issued widespread reactions.
In Ireland, Sadaka – Ireland Palestine Alliance reviewed developments surrounding the issue and highlighted the special Israeli security meeting convened over the paper planes, which Israeli authorities threatened to treat in a manner similar to drones.
In France, International Solidarity Movement – France (ISM-France) published an article titled “War Minister and Netanyahu Threaten Gaza Over Paper Planes,” arguing that the threats expose how Israel is seeking pretexts to justify its ongoing violence in Gaza, amid preparations for upcoming Israeli political events.
Several European media platforms, including Italian outlets, also covered the story under headlines highlighting Israel’s portrayal of children’s play as a “war activity.” They pointed out that inspections of the planes reportedly found nothing beyond paper and wooden sticks, with no dangerous materials detected. Some reports also referred to the killing of a four-year-old child amid the accompanying Israeli airstrikes.
Other French institutions and platforms focusing on Palestinian affairs also followed the issue, quoting activists and analysts who argued that Israel’s security narrative concerning the “paper planes” does not correspond with the facts revealed by field inspections.
Hamas Condemns Israeli Threats
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas warned of the dangerous nature of what it described as false Israeli claims and threats concerning the so-called “launching of paper planes,” which are in reality nothing more than toys made by children in displacement camps, while the Israeli army is occupying around 70 percent of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a press statement that the threats and fabricated pretexts were an attempt to justify the continuation of Israeli aggression and violations against Palestinians, extending even to threatening children in the Gaza Strip.
He called on the US administration, mediating and guarantor countries, and the Board of Peace to pressure Israel to halt its unchecked aggression against the Palestinian people and prevent its attempts to sabotage the ceasefire, which he said the Palestinian side is fully committed to.
The developments come amid a fragile situation that has persisted in Gaza since last October, while official bodies and international human rights organizations continue to document daily Israeli bombing and shooting violations targeting civilians despite the announcement of a ceasefire.
