Palestinian-Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh is climbing Mount Everest in an effort to raise $10 million for children affected by the war in Gaza, according to reports published on May 8. Salameh said the expedition is intended to draw international attention to the experiences of Palestinian children living through the conflict.
The 56-year-old climber is carrying a kite filled with handwritten messages and dreams from children in Gaza, which he hopes to raise at the summit of the world’s tallest mountain. Some children wrote about ambitions such as becoming doctors, engineers and writers, while others expressed hopes tied to survival and reunion with lost family members.
Salameh, who previously completed the Seven Summits challenge and first reached Everest in 2008, said he had once vowed not to climb the mountain again. However, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza motivated him to return. The fundraising campaign is being carried out in partnership with the UK-based Al-Khair Foundation.
