The Palestinian group said in a statement that an Israeli strike on the densely populated central governorate, where large numbers of displaced Palestinians are sheltering, represented a further escalation. Hamas said children flying a kite had been cited as a justification for military action and accused Israel of disregarding international humanitarian protections.

The statement followed Israeli warnings that military operations in Gaza would intensify unless launches of kites, balloons and drones toward Israeli territory stopped. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel could strike those responsible and order residents to leave areas from which such objects were launched.

The Israeli military has said several kites recently crossed from Gaza into southern Israel. Israeli authorities examining recovered kites reported finding no explosives or other suspicious materials attached to some of them. Israel maintains that airborne objects crossing the border require a security response and has warned Hamas against allowing further launches.

Hamas rejected that position, saying Netanyahu's warnings and the possibility of evacuating Palestinian communities showed an intention to continue military operations under what it described as weak pretexts. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem separately characterized the kites as children's toys being flown around displacement camps.

Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday killed at least two Palestinians, including a four-year-old boy, and wounded seven others, according to Palestinian medical officials. One strike hit a building in Zawayda after residents received an evacuation warning, and another targeted the Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel said it was examining circumstances surrounding the strikes.

The latest confrontation comes amid continuing disputes over implementation of the U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire framework. Negotiations have remained stalled over demands concerning Hamas's disarmament, Israeli military withdrawal and arrangements for Gaza's reconstruction.

Hamas called on the United States and mediating countries to condemn Israel's escalation and press for implementation of a roadmap leading to what it described as a genuine ceasefire. The group said such steps were necessary to protect civilians and alleviate Gaza's humanitarian conditions.

The escalation adds pressure to efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, where civilian protection, Israeli security concerns and unresolved political commitments remain central to negotiations. Further military action could complicate mediation efforts and delay progress toward implementing the broader ceasefire framework.