GAZA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Thursday took part in a water ski event to mark the 75th anniversary of Nakba Day.
Wearing Kofeia, a traditional headscarf for Palestinian men, the water skiers lifted the Palestinian flags and pulled them through a boat and into the seawater, and then performed a series of maneuvers in the water.
"We have launched this sports event to send our message to the world that the Palestinians are still suffering from the catastrophic consequences of the Nakba Day, as there are millions of Palestinians not gaining their normal human rights, including living in their independent State," said Khaldoun Abu Salim, the head of the Palestinian Sailing and Rowing Federation in the Gaza Strip, the organizer of the event.
Abu Salim added that "the Palestinian people are looking forward to living in peace on their land without being involved in more bloody conflicts with the Israelis."
"We participate in such activities to make sure that we will never forget our towns and that we will continue to demand the rights to return to our homes no matter how long it takes," said Yousuf Abu Ghanem, one of the water skiers.
The Nakba Day is observed annually on May 15 by Palestinians to remember the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes after the establishment of Israel in 1948. ■
