Gazans Displaced by War Watch World Cup from the Ruins

In the Gaza Strip, where professional sports have been suspended for over two years due to the ongoing conflict, displaced residents are finding ways to watch the World Cup amidst the devastation of their homes. Fadi Al-Arawi, a former player in the Gaza Strip Premier League, donned his old uniform and medals while trying to catch a match on a flickering laptop in a school-turned-shelter.

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

"See, this is the internet, it's starting to cut out and the match hasn't even started yet," Al-Arawi, 38, told Reuters from Khan Younis, with Israeli drones audible overhead. "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 forces continue attacks, and Hamas has not disarmed.

Nearly the entire population of over 2 million Palestinians lives in crowded conditions, often in tents or damaged buildings. In Gaza City, Alaa Babli, owner of the Royal Cafe, installed backup power to ensure matches can be screened even after generators shut down. Hani Abu Rizq, watching a match at the cafe, acknowledged the constant fear: "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."

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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.

The Palestinian Football Association reports that 1,000 athletes are among the 73,000 Palestinians killed since 2023. Approximately 285 sports facilities have been destroyed, and stadiums have been converted into detention camps. Al-Arawi's former playing ground, the Al-Yarmouk Stadium, is now a tent city for displaced families. Mustafa Siam of the Palestinian Football Association stated, "Since the Israeli war of extermination in 2023, Palestinian sports have been a primary target of the Israeli military machine."

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