In Support of Gaza's Children, Activists Fly Kites in Various Countries
Dozens of activists flew kites in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Monday as a form of solidarity with the children of Gaza. This follows threats from Israel to take harsh measures—including displacement—against anyone flying kites or balloons.
As reported by The New Arab, the protest involved many individuals waving Palestinian flags and releasing balloons inscribed with the words “Free Gaza”.
During the demonstration, participants called for the children of Gaza to have their right to a normal life, where they can enjoy themselves and play safely, without the threat of bombing or attacks by the Israeli military.
Participants stated that the protest also symbolises how Israel has stripped many young people of their childhood, given that the Israeli military continues to carry out killings and the destruction of buildings despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement in October.
Photographs from the protest show participants holding posters reading “Netanyahu is a murderer”, “kites not bombs”, and “let Gaza live”.
Other posters read: “In honour of all the children martyred in Gaza” and “Christians in Gaza were killed by our money and bombs sent to Israel”.
The Ban on Kites and Balloons
Earlier this month, the Israeli government requested the military to displace Palestinians from Gaza if they are found flying kites or releasing balloons.
Reports from the Israeli television channel, Channel 13, stated that Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other high-ranking military officials that “any launch of balloons and kites from Gaza towards settlements in the southern region will be met with harsh action”.
Katz also reportedly stated that “every launch is an act of terrorism”, referring to the kites and balloons flown by children in the Gaza Strip. He also emphasised that the military will now “act with all necessary means, including evacuating residents from an area or neighbourhood” if they are found releasing balloons or kites.
Haitham Arafat, a Palestinian-American citizen, told The New Arab that the demonstration was organised to convey a message to Zionists and to assert that every child has the right to play.
“They are threatening a child with bombs and missiles if they fly a kite. How have we reached this point? What we demand from the world is that the Palestinian people receive their right to dignity, and that the children of Gaza have the right to grow up like children in other parts of the world,” he said.
He described the ban on flying kites and balloons as “something the world has never witnessed in history,” calling it a form of “depravity”.
Protests Around the World
Similar actions have taken place in various other parts of the world; dozens of people gathered in Piazza Duomo, Milan, Italy, on Sunday. Protesters waved Palestinian flags, performed flash mobs, and flew kites.
On the same day, many people gathered in Berlin carrying kites and Palestinian flags to express their rejection of the Israeli government’s actions.
In Paris, on Saturday, protesters waved olive branches and flew kites as a form of support for Palestinian children in Gaza. Demonstrators gathered near the historic Bastille Square area, then marched through the centre of Paris towards Fontaine des Innocents.
Many of them chanted pro-Palestinian slogans demanding accountability and the release of Palestinian detainees.
The Palestinian group, Hamas, stated that the kites flown in Gaza are played with by children and pose no danger to anyone. The group also accused Israel of using this issue as a pretext for further escalation and attacks against civilians in the besieged territory.