Nine Palestinian women in the besieged Gaza Strip have been working tirelessly to preserve and document their history, culture and heritage.

The volunteers on the Eyes on Heritage team say their mission to archive rare books and manuscripts began in 2017 when they realised hundreds of documents could be digitally uploaded for researchers around the world to see.

Some date back hundreds of years. With the support of the British Museum, they gather and restore local treasures that help tell a part of southern Palestine’s rich history.

Their project has been especially challenging with Israel’s crippling siege, now in its 16th year. The frequent and prolonged closure of the border crossings in Gaza often halts the delivery of much needed resources, tools and machines required for restoration and archival purposes.