ISM Gaza | Farming Under Fire
25 June 2009
ISM Gaza Strip activists participated in a children event/protest organized by the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative, close to the so called “buffer zone” that Israeli occupation forces are trying to impose all along the Green Line. Among the ruble of recently demolished homes, with other children watching from their homes full of bullet holes, the children of Beit Hanoun launched their kites, defying the siege and the buffer zone and reclaiming land and rights. The Israeli occupation forces participated also to the event with their military balloons.
Beit Hanoun Local Initiative press release of Tuesday June 23, 2009 (translation by ISM Gaza Strip)
Beit Hanoun Local Initiative launches its Children’s activities: Let me Play Freely, in Beit Hanoun
On Tuesday June 23, 2009, the Beit Hanoun Local Initiative group organized a kite competition with the participation of Beit Hanoun children. Six organizations participated in this event, which are from Beit Hanoun: Family Development Centre, Izbet Beit Hanoun Development and Progress centre, Adham Charity centre, Jerusalem Centre for health and society, Taghreed Association for Culture & Development, and the Promising Generation group.
Five children from each organization were chosen to hold big colourful kites, some with the colours of the Palestinian national flag, while other kites had slogans such as: The Children of Palestine Have a Right to Life, a Right to Play, We Refuse Occupation, We want to live like other children in the world, No to the Israeli Occupation.
The “Let me Play Freely” activities was launched in a march beginning from the centre of the town, till the buffer zone east of Beit Hanoun, near Sderot. There, the children released their kites in the air.
Children who are physically challenged and those with special needs participated in the activity too. They played and released kites in the air.
Palestine… we shall remain here despite all the damage and the siege.
The Beit Hanoun Local Initiative coordinator, Saber Al Zaaneen, certified that the activities and events shall continue in the buffer zone despite the occupation forces’ policies that aim at forced removal of familes, and farmers from their places of residence. He called upon the Intenational community to take on a move to stand with the Palestinian people against occupation and neo-colonialism.
On his part, the coordinator of league for activities and events in the Beit Hanoun local initiative stated that the initiative will work during the summer period in organizing and launching children’s activities and events.
At the end of the day’s activity, the initiative and fellow solidarity workers distributed modest gifts to the children who won the “Let me Play Freely” competition.
Beit Hanoun Local Initiative
Media Committee- Beit Hanoun, GS-Palestine