Palestinian women are joining in with archery classes for the first time in the Gaza Strip.

The females had never taken part in the activity but joined in with classes using handmade bows and arrows this month at the Friends Equestrian Club.

Footage shows the young women practicing archery shooting at the club on November 28, 2021.

Speaking in the video, Rima Al-Shurafa said she had wanted to learn archery all her life.

She said: 'Throughout my life, I wanted to learn the sport of archery because it gives self-confidence, enhances concentration in a person, and gives a feeling of strength.

'I like to participate in different sports, but I was very interested in participating in the sport of shooting arrows, and I used to participate in horseback riding and swimming, too.

'I want to develop myself and my skills so that this sport has external competitions and championships, and I can take part in both horse riding and archery.'

Coach Mohamed Abu Mosaed added: 'This sport attracts many people, because it has a very high passion. However, it may be that the harshness of life in the Gaza Strip and the difficult conditions have prevented the sport from spreading more widely here.

'The equipment, I manufacture manually myself. Some materials are bought locally and some I import, but I assemble them through a small workshop at home.

'We aspire to represent Palestine abroad. Through our activities, we are considered a reference for Arab shooter and we have obtained membership of the International Shooting Sport Federation.'