Pro-Palestinian protesters march in Paris with olive branches and kites

Pro-Palestinian protesters marched through the French capital Paris on Saturday, carrying olive branches and kites in support of Palestine, Anadolu reports.

The demonstrators gathered near the historic Bastille Square before marching through central Paris toward the direction of the Fontaine des Innocents despite rainy weather.

Carrying olive branches, which symbolize peace and hold an important place in Palestinian culture, protesters chanted slogans including “There is genocide in Gaza, we will not remain silent” and called for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The demonstrators also flew kites decorated with Palestinian flag motifs in response to the deprivation of Gaza’s children of their right to play with kites.

Protesters called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including doctors, and wrote numbers on their faces and arms in protest against reports that some Palestinians detained by Israel had numbers marked on their foreheads.

READ: Israeli defense chief renews threat to punish Gaza for flying kites

Threats reach Gaza’s children

Hamas said the kites were toys flown by children and accused Israel of using them as a pretext for further escalation against Palestinians.

The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday also criticized Israeli threats to evacuate areas of Gaza over the kites, saying such threats were unacceptable in light of Israel’s obligations under international law to protect civilians.

The Israeli warnings have meanwhile prompted local groups in Gaza to urge families to stop children from flying kites, fearing that stray kites carried by the wind toward Israeli territory could be used as grounds for renewed attacks.

For the boy, the Israeli threats turned a simple pastime into something he felt forced to give up.

After tearing apart the last of his kites, he sat beside his tent and cried.

Since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 1,296 Palestinians and injured 4,296 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

READ: UN decries ‘outrageous’ Israeli threat to expel Gazans over kite-flying