GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Aug 23, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - From card games
to horse rides, women in Gaza are spending their summer nights outdoors to
seek solace from daily hardships in the Palestinian enclave.

"We wait for the sun to be gone to escape to the sea," said Yusra Hmedat, 43,
while playing cards at a beachfront cafe in Gaza City.

"Women leave their houses, from the pressures of life, and try to stay out as
long as possible," said the civil servant, as she put her cards in order.

Fifteen years into an Israeli-led blockade on Gaza, residents of the densely
populated territory endure regular power cuts amid stifling summer heat.

One of Hmedat's competitors, Nawal Yassin, said she often returns home at
2:00 am or 3:00 am.

"Women try to adapt and overcome the circumstances more than men," said the
66-year-old.

In another cafe northwest of the city, housewife Umm Saeed described her
nightly rendezvous as a way of coping with the impact of repeated wars
between Palestinian militants and Israel.

"We try to overcome the stresses by going out, sharing our concerns and
sympathising with one another," she said.

"You see people laughing, but from within everyone is devastated,
psychologically."

Umm Saeed said she spends all of her disposable income at the cafe, amounting
to around 15 shekels ($4.50) a day.

But with Gaza's unemployment rate hitting 47 percent last year, according to
the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, such outings are an
unaffordable luxury for many.

At Al-Shati refugee camp, which overlooks the sea, Faten Abdul Rahman instead
sits outside with her daughters and neighbours.

"The majority of women in the camp gather together at the door of their homes
because of the poor economic situation," said Rahman, who relies on social
welfare to support her seven children.

"The heat is unbearable at home. We spread out a sheet and sit with guests on
the beach, which is the only free entertainment," she added.

Switching on fans or air conditioning is often out of the question in Gaza,
where residents received an average of 11 hours of electricity a day last
month.

This plummeted to just five hours on August 7, during the latest bout of
fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel, data from the UN
humanitarian agency (OCHA) shows.

- Feeling human -

Women like Umm Jaber Abu Assi minimise their spending by heading to the park,
bringing homemade pastries and renting a chair for a shekel.

"If we went out to the sea I would need to pay more," she said, as crowds of
women and children gathered at the park to the west of Gaza City.

"There's a lack of options in Gaza; leaving the house (makes us) feel that
we're human," said the 43-year-old, who sometimes faces criticism for getting
home after midnight.

"I don't care about the criticism. I walk home with my daughter without being
scared (because) the streets are crowded," she said.
For some women, sports such as horse riding are on offer each evening.

At a club southwest of Gaza City, 22-year-old Menna Kahil is feeding her
horse Ripple.

"I spend most of my time here in the evenings. I'm afraid to go out in the
evening in public places alone, for fear of shelling or rocket fire," she
said.

Such weapons killed at least 49 Gazans in three days of cross-border fighting
this month, according to a health ministry toll.

Despite riding for a decade, Kahil said she still comes under pressure over
her chosen hobby.

"I face a lot of criticism because I'm not veiled when I ride my horse at the
sea," she said.

"Although it's only natural -- even the horses need a change of atmosphere."

Outside the sports club, Mervat al-Ghalayini is playing pickleball, which
incorporates elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.

"I love joining anything new," the 41-year-old said enthusiastically.

"I work in the morning and practice sports in the evening; I leave the house
to go to a place where there's light and people."