Mountaineer carries Gaza children’s messages to Everest summit

[0:00] Now, a Palestinian Jordanian mountaineer, Mustafa Salome, is on a mission to carry handwritten letters from children in Gaza to the top of the world's highest peak. [0:10] Salome is making his way up Mount Everest with messages of hope from some of Gaza's youngest residents. [0:16] He says the journey aims to raise global awareness of the hardships they face. [0:22] Salome is one of only 20 people in the world that have completed an adventurous challenge that includes reaching both the North and South Poles and climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents. [0:35] And here he is, Mustafa Salome, joins us live from Everest Base Camp in Nepal. [0:43] Mustafa, probably one of the most dramatic backgrounds we've ever had on Al Jazeera. [0:48] You have stood on many of the world's highest peaks before. [0:52] Or what's driving you to do this for Gaza? [0:58] Well, my visit to Rafa about two months ago has given me the inspiration and the motivation to be here. [1:08] But nine months ago, I met Dr. Arafat Mahdi and we got this idea as a mountaineer, what I can do to bring the suffering and the story of every Palestinian child. [1:23] And what I do best is climb a mountain. [1:28] I did promise lots of people in my life not to go back to Everest, but this is worth it. [1:35] So I'm here. [1:36] I've been here for about a month now, two weeks in Everest Base Camp. [1:41] We're just waiting for this ice fall to open so we can start climbing up all the way to the top of the world. [1:51] And Mustafa, you are carrying with you the dreams and the drawings of children to the roof of the world. [1:58] How heavy is that pack feeling both emotionally and physically today? [2:03] You know, meeting most of the kids online or when I met them personally, the story they have, it will break your heart. [2:16] Time, I can tell you that they have so much energy and give us so much dignity and show the world that they are standing in their land [2:31] and writing all the dreams here in this kite, because these kites are going to go to the top of the world. [2:38] It is light, but as you said, it's very heavy. [2:43] But mentally, I'm carrying all these dreams to the top of the world, because I do have dreams as well. [2:51] And my dreams is to visit Palestine. [2:54] I'm 56 years old, and I still cannot enter my granddad and my ancestor's place. [3:03] So maybe I carry their dream, and maybe one day I'll be able to visit Gaza and to visit Palestine when Palestine is free, inshaAllah. [3:13] 56 years young, I think Mustafa would be more appropriate. [3:17] The goal is $10 million for medical aid. [3:22] I mean, when the wind is howling there at 2 a.m., I mean, how do those children's stories, how do they keep you moving? [3:32] You know, the children's story is lots of their dreams. [3:38] So, you know, lots of their dreams, it's a very simple dream, that if I, it's not the dreams of my kids or any of our kids. [3:46] Parents in heaven, it's to have a proper meal. [3:54] And also, now, talking to more and more, there is Ahmad, who want to be a doctor, because he said there are so many doctors being killed in Gaza. [4:03] Rafah wanted to be a journalist, because she said there are so many journalists, and one of her uncle has actually worked for Al Jazeera. [4:13] She wanted journalists. [4:14] Somebody want to be an arsonist. [4:18] Somebody want to be a policeman. [4:19] So all these dreams give you this, you know, give you this beautiful bush to be able to go up and make it. [4:31] I mean, to be honest, yes, we are at 1,75,500 feet. [4:36] We're going to go up and cross this icefall to come 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, go to 8,000 meters where oxygen 13 percent. [4:43] But trust me, it's absolutely nothing compared to what these kids and the Palestinians go through now in Palestine and especially in Gaza. [4:55] Mustafa, you are a man who has reached both the North and the South Poles. [5:00] Is there anything about Mount Everest that still manages to scare you? [5:05] Well, listen, what scared me now with this icefall, which we've been waiting now for two weeks to be able to cross it, [5:17] because there is a big crack is hanging, and we cannot move until the ice doctor is giving us the okay. [5:24] And we are having a little bit of go through, but we have to wait. [5:31] So we have to be patient. [5:33] It's still scary, still dangerous. [5:36] So that's why tomorrow I'm going to fly to go to this mountain called Loboje to fly this kite. [5:43] And climate is 22,400 feet, just to keep my body going, because we've been a little bit lazy staying here for two weeks. [5:53] I think your definition of lazy is probably different to my definition of lazy, Mustafa. [5:58] Finally, finally, Mustafa, when you stand on that summit with those messages brought from Gaza, [6:05] what is the one thing you want the whole world to hear? [6:11] Well, I want the whole world to hear that Palestine will be free one day, and we can see it. [6:18] And we can see it very, very clearly. [6:20] And that's the only thing. [6:22] It's higher than Everest. [6:24] It's higher than anywhere. [6:25] See Palestine free, inshallah. [6:29] Well, Mustafa Salome, explorer and fundraiser, we wish you and your team the very best of luck [6:36] as you carry the hopes and dreams of the children of Gaza to the roof of the world. [6:40] Thank you so much. [6:42] Thank you so much. [6:43] Thank you. [6:43] Thank you.