Football has returned to Gaza for the first time in over two years, as a five-a-side pitch cleared of rubble hosted an organised tournament in the Tal al-Hawa district of Gaza City. Jabalia Youth faced Al-Sadaqa, while Beit Hanoun took on Al-Shujaiya, with both matches ending in draws.
Despite the devastation, spectators cheered enthusiastically, with boys peering through holes in concrete walls and a drummer setting the rhythm as the crowd shook the chain-link fence surrounding the pitch.
Youssef Jendiya, a 21-year-old player for Jabalia Youth, described his emotions as "confused. Happy, sad, joyful, happy." He noted the harsh realities of daily life: "People search for water in the morning: food, bread. Life is a little difficult. But there is a little left of the day, when you can come and play soccer and express some of the joy inside you." He added that many of his teammates were "killed, injured, or those who travelled for treatment."
Four months after a ceasefire halted major fighting, reconstruction remains almost non-existent. At least 556 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began in October, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Israeli forces have ordered residents out of nearly two-thirds of the strip, leaving over two million people in a narrow coastal area, many in makeshift tents or damaged buildings. The former 9,000-seat Yarmouk Stadium has been levelled and now houses displaced families in white tents on its old pitch.
For the tournament, the Football Association cleared debris from a collapsed wall, erected a fence and swept the artificial turf. Amjad Abu Awda, a 31-year-old player for Beit Hanoun, said the teams were "delivering a message that no matter what happened in terms of destruction and genocidal war, we continue with playing, and with life. Life must continue."
