Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Burin held their annual kite festival on July 10, 2026, flying colorful kites toward the Israeli settlement of Har Bracha in a symbolic act of defiance. The event, which has taken place every summer since 2009, is both a children's celebration and a political statement against the expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
Kites as a symbol of resistance
Organizer Ghassan Najjar explained the dual purpose of the festival: "We want to tell the settlers that this is our land, this is our sky. If we can't reach those lands anymore, our kites can." The kites, many in the colors of the Palestinian flag, soared over the hillside as children raced below, while the red-roofed houses of Har Bracha settlement loomed in the background. Established in 1983, Har Bracha is considered illegal under international law and is one of several settlements encircling Burin, a village of a few thousand people.
Rising settler violence since Gaza war
The festival took place against a backdrop of escalating violence. Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the United Nations has reported a sharp increase in attacks attributed to Israeli settlers in the West Bank. In Burin, conversations often center on settler attacks and the steady expansion of settlements. As early as 2008, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had warned of settler violence in the area, including shootings and the uprooting of olive trees.
Despite the tensions, the hillside briefly transformed into a village fair. A clown painted children's faces, music played, and families spread picnic carpets. One kite bore the colors of Egypt as a tribute to the Egyptian national football team. However, the shadow of conflict remained. Before gathering, residents checked that no settler groups were nearby. "Sometimes we are scared ... Last year we did not come because settlers had attacked the village," said 15-year-old Sanaa Bashar Najjar. "We stay only half an hour or an hour, just to get a bit of fresh air. With the war and the economic hardship, we are simply trying to breathe."
Determination to return
Resident Dalia Zaban recounted how her parents' home was attacked, with windows smashed and cars vandalized. "Today, we just hope they don't come down here," she said. As the afternoon wind faded and kites drifted back to earth, villagers vowed to return next summer. Qusai Walid Eid, a Burin resident attending the festival, said he comes each year to strengthen "our roots in this land." Organizer Najjar added, "Our children have the right to play and to have a real and good life."
