Gaza footballers and fans watch World Cup amid war's destruction and fear

Fadi Al-Arawi, a footballer in Gaza's Premier League, finds his passion for the World Cup overshadowed by the realities of war. Unable to play since the conflict suspended professional sports over two years ago, Al-Arawi, like many Gazans, has lost his home. He attempts to watch a match on a flickering laptop in a school shelter, battling unreliable internet and the constant hum of Israeli drones.

"See, this is the internet, it's starting to cut out and the match hasn't even started yet," Al-Arawi, 38, told Reuters in Khan Younis. "Can you hear the drones? We might live or die, we might be bombed."

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See, this is the internet, it's starting to cut out and the match hasn't even started yet. Can you hear the drones? We might live or die, we might be bombed.

Much of Gaza lies in ruins, its infrastructure heavily damaged by Israel's military campaign launched after the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Despite a truce, Israeli attacks persist, and Hamas has not disarmed. The Palestinian population of over 2 million lives in a narrow, Hamas-controlled strip, often in tents or damaged buildings.

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The cafe could be targeted. Something next to me could be targeted and I could lose my life... But despite everything we are suffering, we are continuing, and we will watch the matches.

Yet, determination to watch the games endures. Alaa Babli, a cafe owner in Gaza City, installed alternative power lines and a backup battery to screen late-night matches. "The cafe could be targeted," said Hani Abu Rizq, watching a game under Egyptian and Moroccan flags. "Something next to me could be targeted and I could lose my life... But despite everything we are suffering, we are continuing, and we will watch the matches."

The Palestinian Football Association states that 1,000 athletes were among the 73,000 Palestinians killed by Israel since 2023. Approximately 285 sports facilities have been destroyed, with some stadiums repurposed as detention camps. Al-Arawi's former professional ground, Al-Yarmouk Stadium, is now a tent city for displaced families. "Since the Israeli war of extermination in 2023, Palestinian sports have been a primary target of the Israeli military machine," said Mustafa Siam of the Palestinian Football Association.

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Since the Israeli war of extermination in 2023, Palestinian sports have been a primary target of the Israeli military machine.