SARAJEVO 

Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital of Sarajevo on Friday released white doves to honor Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks.

The event, organized by Sarajevo Municipality and the Embassy of Palestine as part of World Peace Day, gathered dozens of Bosnian children.

Participants laid flowers at the Memorial to the Murdered Children of besieged Sarajevo, dedicated to Bosniak children killed during the 1992–1995 Serb attacks, before releasing the doves into the sky.

Palestinian Ambassador to Sarajevo Rezeq Namoura told reporters that they were sending greetings to the entire Palestinian people, especially those in Gaza.

Recalling that Sarajevo itself was under siege in the 1990s, he stressed that Sarajevans can understand the suffering of Gazans:

“Unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced the same tragedy, and many children lost their lives. In Gaza, the situation is even harder; tens of thousands of children have been killed. Palestine will never forget who stood by its side and showed solidarity. Our people are facing genocide, where the greatest victims are children and women. The enemy demonstrates its power against unarmed civilians, children, and women.”

Sarajevo Mayor Samir Avdic said the city is sending a universal message of peace.

He added that what is happening in Gaza brings no benefit to humanity: “From this memorial, together with the Palestinian ambassador, we can send a message of peace to the world, in memory of the children killed in Sarajevo.”

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has carried out a genocidal assault on Gaza, killing over 65,100 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has also killed at least 440 Palestinians, including 147 children.