The hopes and dreams of Palestinian children in Gaza have reached the world’s highest peak as a kite bearing their handwritten messages was taken to the summit of Mount Everest by a team of climbers.
The team conquered the world’s tallest mountain at 10:48 a.m. local time (05:03 GMT) on Thursday, confirmed Jordanian-Palestinian climber Mostafa Salameh, who led the expedition but did not personally reach the summit, in a social media post.
Led by Italian filmmaker and explorer Leonardo Avezzano, a group of Nepali Sherpas carried the kite to the summit to ensure that the dreams of children in the besieged enclave could soar to “the top of the world,” Salameh told Al Jazeera from Everest base camp last week.
Salameh, 56, who has previously climbed Everest, remained at the first base camp due to frostbite and a blood clot in his left hand. He launched this expedition to raise $10 million for medical aid to children in the Gaza Strip and to draw global attention to the hardships they face amid the conflict in Gaza.
“After months of preparation, sacrifice, training, fear, hope, prayers, and carrying the weight of a message larger than themselves… the kite carrying the dreams of Gaza’s children now flies above the highest point on Earth,” Salameh said in a video posted on Instagram. “From the rubble and pain of Gaza … to the roof of the world. A dream that refuses to die.”
Avezzano, who documented the ascent, and his team were praised by Salameh. “Tonight, at 8,848 meters in the death zone, where every step is a battle between life and exhaustion, Leonardo carried the kite with courage, heart, and purpose,” Salameh wrote, emphasizing that Everest’s summit is not just about climbing but about humanity, hope, and proving that “even from darkness, something beautiful can rise to the sky.”
Salameh credited the Sherpa team as “the true heroes of the Himalayas.” Everest is one of the most dangerous peaks, where oxygen levels drop to hazardous levels near the summit. Salameh said “the mission is not yet complete” because conquering Everest is only halfway; returning safely to base camp is the next goal for Leonardo and the team.
Salameh, one of 20 people to complete the Explorer’s Slam (conquering the Arctic, Antarctic, and the seven highest peaks on seven continents), has climbed Everest four times. “What I do best is climb,” he said. “As a climber, what I can do is take the story and pain of every Palestinian child to the top of the world.” He acknowledged the great risk of climbing Everest at 8,000 meters with only 15% oxygen, but insisted it is “nothing” compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure. “This time is very personal to me,” Salameh said. “It touches the child in me, because I know what it feels like to be a child in a refugee camp, and I feel the pain of the children of Gaza.”
