Hundreds of Palestinian children in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip marked the United Nations' Universal Children's Day on Friday, calling for attention to their conditions and protection of their rights.

A number of activities and events were held to address various issues that affect Palestinian children in general, and those in Gaza in particular.

A conference, Palestinian Children, organized by human rights group Al Dameer Association, was one of the events run on the day.

"Children are a part of Palestinian community. Therefore all the violations committed by Israel against Palestinians are related to children as well," Khalil Abu Shamalah, Al Dameer's director, said in an interview.

Conference coordinator Reham El Shame said it was part of an ongoing project that aimed to raise awareness of children's rights. The project included many activities aimed at stopping violations against children's rights.

Schools in Gaza also held events to mark the day.

An elementary school for young girls run by the UN organized a workshop titled "Messages from Palestinian Children," where the teachers filmed several children talking to the camera and explaining their messages to other children all over the world.

The video was planned to be uploaded online so children in other parts of the world could watch it.

Haneen, a Palestinian student, said: "Being Palestinian and living in a war amidst rockets and bombs doesn't make us different people."

"We deserve to live in peace, fun and love; we deserve to live with care; we deserve to see our relatives and travel," she said.

Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinian children gathered on Friday to protest in front of the UN office in Gaza, raising banners and calling for protection of their rights.

Sara Majdalawi, a Palestinian student participating in the protest, said: "We are here today to call upon the UN to remember our rights, our children's rights and the right to return for Palestinian children who are outside Palestine, and we hope that our message is heard and our demands are taken into consideration."

The UN Children's Fund, or UNICEF, and the Al Qattan foundation for children organized an event for children in Al Qattan headquarters in Gaza city.

The event included a gallery of paintings by Gazan children, and a dabka dance performed by boys and girls as well as by parents and researchers.

Douglas Higgins, UNICEF representative in Palestinian territories, said the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is "being celebrated all over the world."

"It was a major event 20 years ago when the global community came together and agreed that children were more than just objects of charity. Children have rights, and this is particularly important in the Gaza Strip because Palestinian children here in Gaza also have rights and they must not be forgotten," he said.

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