Gaza Children Seek Guinness Record in Kite Flying

Palestinian children in Gaza Strip tried to break the world record by flying self-made kites simultaneously on Thursday.

Up to 6,000 children participated and more than half of them succeeded in flying their kites. Therefore the world record registered in Germany last year, where 713 kites were flown simultaneously, was broken by Palestinian kids.

Soundbite: Zuhir Haneya, official in charge of the event "6,000 kids participated in this activity. One can easily tell that they broke the world record even without count. And these data in my hand can prove that they did break the record."

The children, who participated in annual summer camps sponsored by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), hoped to break up the Israeli blockade on their territory by flying kites with slogans.

Israel imposed a near-total closure on Gaza when the Islamic Hamas movement seized power there in June 2007.

John Ging, director of UNRWA operations said UNRWA will stage more activities among Gaza children against the blockade.

Soundbite: John Ging, director of UNRWA operations "We are only beginning, I mean, what we are here to do is to lift the people out of their state of oppression and destitution, today is the kids, the kids are showing what they can do, if given half a chance they can break a world record."

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2009)