Kite with Gaza children’s messages flown atop Mount Everest

A kite carrying handwritten messages from Palestinian children in Gaza was flown to the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday, achieving a symbolic journey from the war-torn Strip to the world’s highest peak.

The team of mountaineers, led by Italian filmmaker and explorer Leonardo Avezzano, reached the summit at 10:48 a.m. local time (05:03 GMT), according to Jordanian Palestinian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh, who spearheaded the expedition but did not ascend due to health issues.

Salameh confirmed the feat in a social media post, saying the kite was carried by Nepali Sherpas to ensure the dreams of children in the besieged Gaza Strip could soar “to the top of the world.”

Salameh, 56, who has previously summited Everest, remained at the first base camp after suffering frostbite and a blood clot in his left hand.

He launched the expedition to raise $10 million for medical aid to children in Gaza and to draw global attention to the hardships they face amid what he called Israel’s genocide in the territory.

“After months of preparation, sacrifice, training, fear, hope, prayers, and carrying the weight of a message much bigger than themselves… the kite carrying the dreams of the children of Gaza is now flying above the highest point on Earth,” Salameh said in a video posted to Instagram.

“From the rubble and pain of Gaza … to the roof of the world. A dream refused to die,” he wrote in the caption.

Salameh praised Avezzano, who documented the journey, and the Sherpa team for their courage and dedication.

“Tonight, at 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) in the death zone where every step feels like a battle between life and exhaustion, Leonardo carried that kite with courage, heart, and purpose.

“I am so proud of my brother Leonardo for believing in this mission and for carrying the voices, names, hopes, and dreams of children who deserve to be seen by the world,” Salameh added.

He emphasized that the summit was not merely a climbing achievement but a statement about humanity, hope, and proving that “even from darkness, something beautiful can still rise into the sky.”

“Massive respect and gratitude to the incredible Sherpa team – the real heroes of the Himalayas. Without their strength, wisdom, and hearts, none of this would be possible. Thank you for protecting the team and helping carry this mission to the summit safely,” Salameh wrote.

Mount Everest, at 8,848 meters, is one of the most perilous summits due to dangerously low oxygen levels near the peak.

Salameh noted that the “mission [was] not accomplished yet” because summiting marked only the halfway point; safe descent to base camp remained the next goal for Avezzano and his team.

The team planned to assess whether to sleep at camp four or continue down to camp two, depending on weather conditions.

“Tonight, the kite flies above Everest; tonight, the dreams of Gaza touched the sky,” Salameh said, ending his video with a chant of “Free, Free Palestine.”

Salameh is one of 20 people to have completed the Explorer’s Slam – reaching the North and South Poles and climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents.

He has summited Everest four times, the first in 2008, the year he was knighted by King Abdullah II of Jordan.

“What I do best is climb mountains,” he told Al Jazeera last week from base camp.

“I did promise lots of people in my life not to go back to Everest, but this is worth it. As a mountaineer, what I can do is bring the story and suffering of every Palestinian child all the way to the top of the world.”

Salameh acknowledged the immense risks – including death – of scaling Everest at 8,000 meters with only 15 percent oxygen, but insisted it was “absolutely nothing” compared with what Palestinians in Gaza have endured.

“This time is very personal for me,” Salameh said in another video.

“This one hits home for the child in me, because I know what it feels like to be a child at a refugee camp, and I feel for the children of Gaza and what they go through.

“What makes it more personal is that I visited these kids; I couldn’t visit Gaza but I was on the other side in Egypt and I saw them and sat down with them and it broke my heart.”

He said the people of Palestine inspire him to continue his work even in the toughest circumstances. “It doesn’t matter what happens; these people’s houses are being demolished and they put up a tent right there to stay on their land. I’ve learned massive lessons from them. I’ve learned dignity, I’ve learned freedom. I’ve learned to become a man, to be true to myself rather than be strong.”