BEIJING, Aug. 3 -- Tayseer Association, a Hamas-run matchmaking agency in Gaza, held a mass wedding ceremony for visually impaired Palestinians in central Gaza on Sunday.

    The wedding ceremony was held at Rashad Al Shawa hall in central Gaza and was attended by bridegroom and bride’s families and friends, during which several joyful activities were performed on stage.

    The wedding reception was performed by boy scouts who lined up on both sides of the entrance of the hall and played drum music to announce the arrival of 40 visually impaired but happy bridegrooms.

    Since Tayseer opened its matchmaking department in 2007 in Gaza, it has arranged more than 40 marriages in Gaza. But it is the first time that a mass wedding was held for visually impaired Palestinians. It also offered each newly couple a gift of two thousand dollars to help them overcome the bleak situation of Gaza’s economy.

    Sound bite: Khaled Ashour, bridegroom "We exist here, we are present in our community, we are able to act and work, there are many examples of the greatness that can be done by visually impaired people, Taha Hussain, Helen Keller, to name but a few. Today we say that this moment is ours to seize, it's our wedding day, despite our sorrows we can still find happiness."

    The mass wedding phenomenon has been considered a routine to escape the harsh reality that young Palestinians live through, as a very strict siege has been imposed on them by Israel ever since Islamic movement Hamas took over control of Gaza after ousting presidential forces ruled by its rival Fatah in the summer of 2007.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza. (XHTV)