Israel has escalated its attacks and threats against the Gaza Strip amid growing tensions over kites and balloons crossing from the enclave into nearby Israeli areas, even as the Israeli military said several of the kites it examined contained no dangerous materials.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to act “immediately and forcefully” against launches from Gaza, saying Israel would treat kites and balloons in a similar manner to drones, whether or not they were carrying explosives.

The order followed reports that several kites had crossed from Gaza in recent days and landed near Israeli communities close to the enclave, including Nahal Oz and Be’eri.

However, the Israeli military said at least four kites that were examined contained no suspicious materials and posed no danger to the public, raising questions over the scale of the threat being cited by the Israeli government as it warns of further military action.

At the same time, Israel has continued carrying out air strikes across Gaza. Palestinians have been killed and wounded in recent attacks, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened intensified military action if the launching of kites, balloons and drones continues.

Israeli warnings have also extended beyond those accused of carrying out the launches. Officials have threatened evacuations in areas of Gaza from which Israel says the objects are being flown, raising fears of further displacement and military escalation in a territory already devastated by years of war.

Hamas has accused Israel of using the kites as a pretext for renewed attacks, pointing to the Israeli military’s own assessment that several of those recovered did not contain explosives or incendiary materials.

Kites also carry a very different meaning for many children in Gaza. During years of war, displacement and the destruction of normal childhood life, children have continued to make and fly them as one of the simplest forms of play available to them.

The latest escalation has therefore brought one of the most basic symbols of childhood in Gaza into the centre of a new military confrontation. As Israeli officials threaten stronger action over the launches, civilians in the enclave once again face the prospect of further air strikes, displacement and loss of life.