The war between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since October 7
Meters away from the concrete and steel fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt, 11-year-old Malak Ayad flies a paper kite high in the sky, a welcome distraction from The horrors of war.
“I fly kites every day with my brothers and cousins near the Egyptian border,” said the Palestinian girl, who was displaced from Gaza City to the southern city of Rafah with her family.
“When I do this, I feel free and safe,” she added, gently maneuvering the kite she calls a “butterfly” as it moves back and forth across the border on a white string.
Her cousins and friends ran along the fence in a vain attempt to get the kite airborne, but a distant explosion stopped them in their tracks.
“Soon, the (Israeli) bombings were getting closer,” said Malak’s uncle, Mohammed Ayad, 24, urging the children to leave the area.
Malak quickly obeyed, collecting and folding the kite before rushing back to the tent where her family had taken refuge in the nearby Kiel region.
“Playtime is over. When the air raids start, we run home,” Malak said, shaking with fear.
The war began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign to destroy Hamas has killed at least 32,782 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
“Trapped”
Malak Ayad and her family are among 1.5 million people, most of whom have been displaced by the war and currently live in Rafah. Israel vows to launch ground offensive against Hamas.
Despite the war and fear that looms over her, Malak seems happy to be flying her kite and dreaming of life as it was before the war broke out on October 7.
“When we were trapped in Gaza, my kite would fly to Egypt every day,” said Malak, who wore a bracelet emblazoned with the Palestinian flag.
“I don’t know when we will be able to go home,” she said, adding that her mother told her that her school had been attacked and “destroyed” by Israeli forces.
Haitham Abu Ajwa, 34, also a displaced person from Gaza City, said flying kites “reminds me of my childhood.”
He also lives in a tent in Rafah with his wife and two sons, Mohammed, 5, and Adam, seven months.
He said flying kites helps “get rid of negative thoughts” and that the border area with Egypt is “the ideal place to expel… the sadness and pain we feel”.
“You can’t feel free or comfortable in a refugee camp,” Abu Ajwa said as he helped Mohammed fly a kite.
Every afternoon, dozens of children, some with their families, come to the border area to fly kites across the border.
Some started talking to the Egyptian soldiers guarding the watchtower.
As Malak’s kite flew over the watchtower, a soldier called to her, “Well done, princess.”
The little girl waved her thanks and said: “I love Egypt and my wish is to travel there like my kite.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
