The Jerusalem municipality kicked off the 52nd International Children's Games Monday, welcoming 1,500 young athletes aged 12 to 15 from 31 countries to the Israeli capital.
This is the first time that Israel is hosting the event, which was first founded in 1968.
The festive opening ceremony, held at Sultan's Pool in the capital, was attended by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and 400 children from Israeli communities near the border with Gaza. The border community children, who have endured a dramatic spike in violence amid recent tension with the Palestinians in Gaza, were invited as honorary guests.
In the coming days, the athletes will compete in a variety of events, including soccer, basketball, fencing, swimming, tennis, streetball (3-on-3 outdoor basketball), volleyball, judo and track and field.
The Israeli delegation consists of 220 athletes.
The slogan of this year's games is "Play fair, win a friend."
The sporting events will be held in seven sporting venues across the city, including the YMCA's new facility.
"The capital of Israel is hosting the games and it's a wonderful celebration for Jerusalem and for Israel in general," Barkat told the crowd.
The athletes, Barkat said, will "tour the city and compete in it and become its ambassadors across the globe."
