Gaza, Jan 29 (IANS) Around 17,000 youth from Gaza finished a one-week training course in paramilitary activities Thursday, which was organised and supervised by the Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing. The youths, aged between 16 and 21 years, were trained on how to get involved in gun battles and how to defend themselves by members of Hamas's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, Xinhua news agency reported. A large graduation ceremony for the young people was held at Gaza's main sports stadium. "The training course focused on preparing the teenagers and the young men on how to defend themselves and their people and to be the future soldiers who will fight for Jerusalem, the refugees, the prisoners and the West Bank," Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas movement leader said.