Gaza gym offers escape from war hardships

 In the basement of a damaged building in Gaza's Khan Younis, Palestinians were training in a gym that its manager and a trainee described as "not suitable" and "dilapidated".

Among them was bodybuilder Ahmed Farwana, determined to rebuild his body after more than two years of war.

"The circumstances before were really difficult, and the gym is the only place to release negative energy for athletes in the Gaza Strip," the 26-year-old father of one said.

Farwana said he lost more than 10 kilograms during the war in Gaza and recounted how he fashioned dumbbells out of concrete when gyms were closed.

Another Palestinian trainee described the "scene of rubble" at the entrance and the danger of the ceiling that could fall "at any moment".

"Who would imagine that there are youths from Gaza lifting iron and weights under the rubble? This is a microcosm of Gaza," Ahmed al-Majaydah added.

"Today, we are building (our) bodies under the rubble. God willing, the day will come when we rebuild Gaza again."

Production: Ramadan Abed, Fadi Shana, Mai Shams El-Din/Reuters