Israel has declared children's kites and balloons launched from Gaza a security threat on par with drones, using it to justify new strikes — a grim escalation for Palestinians already living in tents.

• Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas that launches into Israeli territory must stop, and Katz said a balloon will now be treated like a kite and a kite like a drone, with or without explosives.
• Israel's own army found nothing suspicious on the kites that landed and said there was no danger to the public — a dozen kites and a handful of balloons drifted over during August, none carrying any device.
• Israel says Hamas is directing children to fly them; the kids describe it as one of the only things left that lifts their mood.
• Strikes over the same period hit tent camps, places of worship, and a desalination plant that was days from delivering clean drinking water.
• Over two million people are now squeezed into roughly a third of Gaza, with most buildings destroyed and sewage seeping into the water supply.

Outlook: Expect more "targeted" strikes justified by kite and balloon launches, with no sign that US support or the framing in American media will shift.