More than 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza, according to the UN.
They are also the most vulnerable to starvation and disease.
But kite flying continues to bring joy in Gaza. TV4’s employee Samy Zyara has in our series “inside Gaza” met the children who make and sell kites.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the sky over Gaza has been occupied by drones and bombers. But here and there you can see small colorful dots. It’s the children’s dragons. They existed before the war and they remain now as a thread of hope.
– We love playing with them, says Fawzi Muhammad Al-Najjar, 12 years old.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, international journalists are not allowed into Gaza. TV4 has instead asked the employee of many years, Samy Zyara, to describe the situation from inside Gaza – above all what everyday life is like in the middle of the war. Among the worst affected are the children.
Over 13,000 are dead, many are suspected of being under the racial masses and are an easy victim of infections and threatened starvation. But according to Samy Zyara, you still see the children playing or trying to play in the camps. One of the things that lead to the most laughter is the kite flying.
For Fawzi, kite flying is not only fun, but it has also become a way to earn extra money for the family.
– Instead of getting up to mischief, it’s better that we tinker with the dragons, he says.
Fawzi used to live in the Khan Younis area where his cousin had a toy manufacturing business. Among other things, he made kites.
– I used to be there and he showed me how to make kites. So when we got to camp I thought it would be good to keep making kites. When I work with the dragons, my brain can rest, says Fawzi.
He has saved money so that he could buy glue, nylon threads, plastic and staples. Making a kite costs about 10 shekels (29 kroner) and he sells them for between 15 and 50 shekels (44-145 kroner). He sells a few per day. But there are always dragons to play with too.
– When I fly my kite, I feel free. Like I was having fun, was in a park or on an excursion. I just want the war to end so I can go home again, he says.