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The video is a report by Tania Krämer, Deutsche Welle.Harsh conditions in Khan Yunis Several thousands of people live in Khan Yunis making it a cramped space. The fourth generation of Palestinian refugees is now growing up there. From outside the camp, Gaza is controlled by Israel and from inside, there is growing pressure from the authoritarian Hamas government that imposes more social restriction. Khan Yunis is a depressing place for youngsters who have no recreational area, no hope for the future – about half of the Palestinian refugees are unemployed –, no security – nightly air assaults and eruptions of violence are part of daily life – and experience psychological difficulties because of the ongoing conflict.A feeling of freedom thanks to parkour These harsh conditions spurred a team of young people to practice a sport called parkour, which consists of moving quickly in the streets and finding a way through different obstacles. Although the team has no professional training ground, it uses existing infrastructure in Khan Yunis – including hospital grounds and cemeteries – going from one place to another when chased by the police. It is easy for the team to find new recruits. Parkour gives them a feeling of freedom and an opportunity to escape social constraints and to leave the hardship of living in a refugee camp behind. However, many conservative residents disapprove of this activity, considering it as immoral and even mistake them for thieves. Another obstacle for the team is crossing the border to participate in international events. For example, they never know if the border crossing to Egypt will be open or if they will be allowed to leave Gaza. The leaders of the team want to provide the youth with a safe recreational area. They hope to create a parkour school and dream of participating in international competitions. This is why they record themselves and share their videos with others online. One of the co-leaders even went to Libya and tried to earn money to buy everything the team needs. The internet is a tool to help them be spotted by a sport club and also to learn from international practitioners. They watch other people participate in parkour and try to imitate them.
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