On holiday in Gaza's summer camps

On holiday in Gaza's summer camps

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Palestinian girls bounce up and down during a United Nations-run “Summer Fun Week” in Gaza City. Their experience of spending some of their vacation in a summer camp is a common one, shared by thousands of children in the Gaza Strip. However, the activities the youngsters get up to at centres run by different organisations can vary hugely - from sports and arts classes, to military-style training included in the programs of some camps run by Islamist groups.

. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Mahmoud Haniyeh, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy, crawls under barbed wire during a military-style exercise at a summer camp organised by Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas.

Some Hamas-run camps include fun and games, while seeking to reinforce religious values and awareness of the conflict with Israel. Other centres, including some run by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, provide military training for youths, including basic firearms practice and war games.

. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Ten-year-old Palestinian Alaa Soboh holds up an elaborate creation during a kite-making lesson with her supervisor at a U.N.-run “Summer Fun Week”. The vacation program provides all sorts of activities for children, from taking part in sports to playing on slides.

"The schoolboy took part in a military-style exercise session, during which he was crawling, aiming wooden guns, and shouting slogans."
Mohammed Salem, Reuters Photographer

Since the summer vacations started, every morning as I go to the office I see lots of children on the way to their summer camps, travelling either on foot or by bus. Based on my previous visits to these different camps, the stark contrast between the various activities on offer occurred to me as an interesting subject for a story.

I started my exploratory tour by visiting a Hamas-run summer camp, where I spent about 20 minutes watching the youngsters and seeing what they were really interested in. My attention was caught by their tough determination and ability to perform military-style exercises under the heat of the sun.

The scenes I watched in that camp were in complete contrast to what children are offered by the U.N. fun weeks. So for my story I planned to find two schoolchildren who were at the different camps, and document their daily activities in order to illustrate their personal lives.

In the Hamas-run camp, a boy named Mahmoud Haniyeh drew my attention with his commitment to his supervisors’ instructions, as well as his desire to be the first to start any given activity.

I waited for the best time in terms of light, then I started to take pictures of him. On Sunday June 16th, I think Mahmoud had fun more than the day after, and he enjoyed drawing, playing on a swing, and praying with his friends.

Before leaving the camp, I rushed to photograph him looking out of the window of the bus he was riding. I drove my car to catch up with him at his family’s house where I had the chance to take a picture of him with his mother and younger siblings.

The shape of the house, located inside Shati refugee camp, seemed quite unbelievable to me. It was modest and narrow, and looked like a makeshift shelter, with beams of sunlight shining through its asbestos roof.

On the second day, June 17th, the schedule was full of action, and I was dashing everywhere that Mahmoud went. The schoolboy took part in a military-style exercise session, during which he was crawling, aiming wooden guns, and shouting slogans.

In contrast to this, early in the morning, I also went to the U.N-run summer fun week’s program to photograph the other part of my story.

I spoke with a schoolgirl named Alaa Soboh, and I liked the way she chatted and interacted with others. I focused on her as she made a kite, played on a slide, danced and drew. As I did with Mahmoud, I also made my way to her family’s house in Gaza City after returning from the program.

In the Gaza Strip, media is mostly known for covering funerals of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, so I had to explain to Alaa, who had a weird feeling about it, why I was photographing her.

Being at the summer camps with her and Mahmoud created a mixture of hope and concern over the future of Gaza.

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Slideshow

A Palestinian boy peers through a fabric sheet as he takes part in a summer camp organised by the Hamas movement.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

A Palestinian boy peers through a fabric sheet as he takes part in a summer camp organised by the Hamas movement.

Thirteen-year-old Mahmoud Haniyeh (front, first left) aims a wooden gun during a military-style exercise at the camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Thirteen-year-old Mahmoud Haniyeh (front, first left) aims a wooden gun during a military-style exercise at the camp.

He crawls backwards through the sand as he takes part.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

He crawls backwards through the sand as he takes part.

Mahmoud raises his fist in the air along with other boys at the camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Mahmoud raises his fist in the air along with other boys at the camp.

Young Palestinians pray during a military-style exercise.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Young Palestinians pray during a military-style exercise.

Mahmoud (fifth right) raises his hand beside other boys at the Hamas-run camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Mahmoud (fifth right) raises his hand beside other boys at the Hamas-run camp.

He plays with others on a swing at the camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

He plays with others on a swing at the camp.

He looks out of a bus window as he leaves at the end of the day.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

He looks out of a bus window as he leaves at the end of the day.

Mahmoud plays with his younger brother Ghazi after getting back from summer camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Mahmoud plays with his younger brother Ghazi after getting back from summer camp.

He stands in a doorway at home.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

He stands in a doorway at home.

Mahmoud sits beside his mother Umm Mohammed at their house.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Mahmoud sits beside his mother Umm Mohammed at their house.

Ten-year-old Palestinian Alaa Soboh (back), one of the children attending a U.N.-run “Summer Fun Week,” stands in a hallway in her family's house in Gaza City, as her father Ayman returns home after teaching at a university.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Ten-year-old Palestinian Alaa Soboh (back), one of the children attending a U.N.-run “Summer Fun Week,” stands in a hallway in her family's house in Gaza City, as her father Ayman returns home after teaching at a university.

Alaa takes part in a dance lesson with her supervisor at the U.N.-organised summer camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Alaa takes part in a dance lesson with her supervisor at the U.N.-organised summer camp.

Alaa (centre) joins in with a dance lesson.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Alaa (centre) joins in with a dance lesson.

She plays with a skipping rope at the summer camp.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

She plays with a skipping rope at the summer camp.

Alaa takes part in a game, involving collecting clothes pegs from a line.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Alaa takes part in a game, involving collecting clothes pegs from a line.

She holds out a piece of string as she joins in with a kite-making lesson.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

She holds out a piece of string as she joins in with a kite-making lesson.

Alaa participates in a drawing lesson.
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Alaa participates in a drawing lesson.

She sits at a desk during the U.N.-run "Summer Fun Week".
. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

She sits at a desk during the U.N.-run "Summer Fun Week".