GAZA CITY — Young Palestinians are skateboarding through the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza, using the sport as a release from the psychological strain of conflict. The activity provides a rare source of joy and helps children cope with trauma in areas devastated by the war.
Among the skaters is seven-year-old Marah Salem, who has practiced for seven months. She rolls through improvised ramps and cleared pathways, often along the edges of collapsed structures in Khan Younis.
Rajab Al-Reefi, founder of the Gaza Skate Team, said children are desperate for any brief escape from fear. He clears cinder blocks and debris to create makeshift training areas for young participants.
Al-Reefi holds weekly training sessions for boys and girls, offering structured activity and a sense of normalcy in a landscape of destruction.
More than 250 young Palestinians have expressed eagerness to join the Gaza Skate Team, but Al-Reefi currently has only six skateboards, a shortage that has left most of them waiting.
Despite the lack of equipment and protective gear, participants continue practicing. They use the ruins themselves as part of their improvised skateparks.
On May 20, 2025, members of the Gaza Skate Team held training sessions for children at Gaza Port in western Gaza City.
The Gaza Freedom Skaters—including Mohammad Saed Al-Din, Mohannad Lubbad and Sham Abdul Mohsen—also continue their efforts, practicing in areas including Khan Younis.
Displacement and daily hardship have eliminated most traditional recreational spaces, including formal parks. Skateboarding has emerged as an activity that requires little infrastructure, allowing it to survive in settings that formal sports cannot.
Al-Reefi and other volunteers continue seeking opportunities to expand despite severe limitations on resources and safe spaces.
