Protests have taken place around the world, decrying an Israeli decision to effectively ban Gaza's long-suffering children from flying kites for play
Dozens of activists flew kites in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C on Sunday evening, in a show of solidarity with children in Gaza after Israel threatened a forceful response, including expulsion, for anyone launching kites or balloons.
The protests included many people waving the Palestinian flag and releasing balloons with the words “Free Gaza” printed on them.
At the demonstration, attendees called for children in Gaza to receive their right to a normal life, where they can safely enjoy themselves and play, without the threat of being bombed or attacked by the Israeli army.
Participants said the protest was also to symbolise how Israel had stolen the childhood of many young people, as the Israeli army continues to carry out killings and demolitions despite a ceasefire agreed in October.
Photographs from the protest showed participants holding signs that read “Bibi is a murderer,” “kites not bombs,” and “let Gaza live”.
Others read: “In honour of all the children martyred in Gaza,” and “Christians in Gaza were killed by our money and bombs sent to Israel”.
Ban on kites and balloons
Earlier this month, the Israeli government called on the military to expel any Palestinians from Gaza if they were found to fly kites or release balloons.
The report from the Israeli Channel 13 stated that Israeli defence minister Israel Katz told army chief Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials that “every launching of balloons and kites from Gaza towards southern communities will be met with a severe response”.
Katz was also reported to have said “every launch is an act of terrorism”, referring to kites and balloons flown by children in the Strip. He also confirmed that the army would now “act with all necessary means, including evacuating the population from an area or neighbourhood” if they were found to release balloons or kites.
Haitham Arafat, an American citizen of Palestinian descent, told *The New Arab *that the protest was organised to send a message to Zionists, and make clear that all children have the right to play.
“They threaten a child, if he flies a kite, with bombs and missiles. What stage have we reached? What we ask from the world is that Palestinians have their right to dignity and children in Gaza have the right to grow up like children in other parts of the world,” he said.
He said that the ban on flying kites and balloons was “something the world has never witnessed before in history,” calling it a form of “depravity”.
Protests around the world
Similar protests have taken place elsewhere in the world, with dozens of people gathering in Milan, Italy, on Sunday in the Piazza Duomo.
Protesters waved the Palestinian flag, took part in a flash mob, and flew kites.
On the same day, scores gathered in Berlin with 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 in support of Palestinian children in Gaza. The demonstrators gathered near the historic Bastille Square, then marched through central Paris heading towards the Fontaine des Innocents.
Many chanted pro-Palestine chants, which called for accountability and the release of Palestinian detainees.
Palestinian group Hamas has said that the kites flown in Gaza were done so by children and pose no threat to anyone. The group also accused Israel of using the matter as a pretext for further escalation and attacks against civilians in the enclave.
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