More than 7,000 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip simultaneously dribbled basketballs for five minutes on Thursday in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, Gaza's top UN aid official said. The event took place on a bombed-out airport runway near the southern Gaza town of Rafah. It was part of the UN's summer camps for about 250,000 Gaza children. Buses brought children from all over Gaza for Thursday's basketball bounce at the Gaza International Airport, which has been closed and repeatedly bombed by Israel since the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising in 2000. As music blared from loudspeakers, the children awaited a cue from organizers before dribbling their balls. UN spokesman Chris Gunness said more than 200 monitors reported that 7,203 children finished the drill. Many tossed their balls in the air in celebration after passing the five-minute mark. Local UN chief John Ging said he expected to know in a few days if the children had set the record. The previous record was set in 2007 in Indiana. Some found the event inspiring. “I hope one day I can fly from this airport to the world as member of Palestine's national basketball team,” said Salma Hassan, 11. Gunness said a Finnish company donated 60 balls and sold more than 7,000 to the UN for 10 euros ($13) each, a quarter of the retail price. Gaza's children set their first world record last year by simultaneously flying more than 3,000 kites, Gunness said. They'll try to break that record at a UN event next week, he said.
