RUNNING FREE
For young men and boys living on the Israel-Palestine border, life is one of constant threat and uncertainty.
But a daring community of athletes is reclaiming the space it calls home, performing gravity-defying stunts amid the rubble and ruin. This is how Gaza Parkour found its own kind of peace
Our images of Gaza come from newsreels that show the city at its worst moments. For many of us, Gaza exists in our minds in a permanent state of war and destruction. But, for nearly three-quarters of a million people, Gaza is home. It’s one of the most densely populated urban areas on earth and 75 per cent of the population are under the age of 25. Gaza is a place just like any other, where children kick balls in the streets and young men attempt risky, sometimes foolhardy, stunts and tricks to get their fix of adrenaline and impress their friends.
It’s hard not to be impressed by Abdullah Al Qassab. His Instagram page is fairly standard for a 24-year-old language student; there are smiling selfies and photos of him gazing thoughtfully into the middle distance.
