Netherlands: Protesters fly kites in Rotterdam in solidarity with Gaza children.

SHOTLIST: ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (SEPT. 5, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS BUILDING KITES DECORATED WITH PALESTINIAN FLAG OR PALESTINIAN SYMBOLS 2. VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS FLYING KITES AND BALLOONSROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — SEPT. 5, 2026: Protesters gathered in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Saturday, Sept. 5, to oppose Israel's threats against Palestinians flying kites in the Gaza Strip. Demonstrators flew kites in solidarity with Palestinian children living amid war, calling for their freedom to play and enjoy childhood activities. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz renewed his threat Thursday to expel Palestinians from any area in the Gaza Strip from which kites or balloons were being flown. Katz made the threat during a high-level security meeting with army chief Eyal Zamir, the head of Israeli air defense and other top military officials, according to a statement released by his office. Katz said the warning was issued after balloons and kites were flown from areas inside the Gaza Strip. Katz warned that the flying of kites or balloons would be met with a “firm response” against those responsible and against areas from which they were being flown. “Based on the instructions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my instructions, the Israeli army will use all necessary tools, including evacuating Gaza residents from any area or neighborhood from which kite and balloon launches are carried out,” he said. Katz and Netanyahu issued similar threats on Sunday, warning of stepped-up assassinations and expulsions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip if the flying of kites and balloons toward Israel did not stop. Israel has not reported any deaths or injuries from the kites and balloons that it says originated from the Gaza Strip. Typically flown by children, lightweight kites are controlled by strings pulled from the ground. If a string breaks, wind can carry the kites beyond the Gaza Strip toward nearby Israeli communities, some of which are located only a few kilometers away. On Tuesday, the UN’s human rights office criticized Israeli threats to evacuate areas in the Gaza Strip over the flying of children’s kites, saying such threats contravened international legal obligations to protect civilians. Nevertheless, the threats have prompted some local groups in the Gaza Strip to urge families to stop their children from flying kites, fearing Israel could use the practice as a pretext to escalate attacks.