Thousands of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have broken a world record on the number of kites flown simultaneously in the same place, UN officials have said.

More than 5,000 children gathered for the event on a beach near the northern city of Beit Lahiya as part of the Summer Games program, a UN initiative organized to restore hope and normality to the war-torn territory.

Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Gaza, said the aim was to get about 5,000 kites up in the air to break a previous Guinness world record.

"The record is about 710, that was set in Germany in 2008," our correspondent said, adding that organizers said they believed they had the numbers to shatter that figure.

Record ‘Smashed’

John Ging, the director of operations for the UN Relief and Works Agency, told Al Jazeera that the event was a success.

"No question about it, [the record] was actually smashed," Ging said.

"But now we have to go through the process of verification.

"We’re confident that when all the materials are put together and sent back to the Guinness people they will confirm that we’ve broken the record here today."

Ging said representatives from Guinness were unable to travel to Gaza, but provided the UN with rigorous guidelines in order to verify the attempt.

"The adjudicator who would normally come, was not able to come to Gaza because it is unsafe. But it’s ok for children here in Gaza," Ging said.

"We need to get a grip with this thing, the fact that the children are having to live in this situation."
 
(Aljazeera Net English)