How a parkour group in Gaza turns war ruins into sporting arenas

Spider Parkour’s love for their sport defies Israel’s bombs as they find ways to showcase their skills during the war.

In Rafah, a group of children let out loud cheers as two young men somersault their way down a mound of mud, all the way into a settlement of tents accommodating people fleeing Israel’s war on Gaza.

Their fluid movements make passers-by stop to admire the skills of the Spiders Parkour group.

Their homes have been destroyed during Israel’s three-month bombardment. Five of their team members have been killed, but these young survivors of war are undaunted.

They find resilience through parkour by turning neighbourhoods destroyed by Israeli bombing into arenas for their favourite sport.

“We have been practising this sport for many years. We train in public places on even ground and on sand dunes,” Najem Ammar, one member tells Al Jazeera.