A pitch set up among tents and partially destroyed buildings brought displaced footballers together again in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The footballers, who had lost their fields because of the war or been forced to leave their homes, played a friendly match there.
Dozens of Palestinians gathered around the pitch to watch the game. Some children and women followed the match from the rooftops of buildings partially destroyed in Israeli attacks.
A sandy area replaces destroyed facilities
The match in Mawasi, where thousands of displaced people live, was played on an empty, sandy area without a grass pitch or sports facilities. The game gave footballers who had been separated from their home grounds an opportunity to play again in Khan Younis.
Organizer Younis Abu Sahlul said two teams that had been separated from their fields because of the war had approached him about playing a match in Khan Younis. He said they organized the game to bring Palestinians affected by destruction and displacement a brief moment of joy.
Abu Sahlul said playing a match among the tents showed residents' desire to reclaim a part of their daily lives. He explained that footballers had been forced to use empty, sandy areas because most of the fields and clubs had been destroyed.
Call for support for Palestinian football
Abu Sahlul called on institutions connected to Palestinian football to help revive sporting activities in Gaza, saying sports infrastructure needed to be rebuilt. He also urged FIFA, the Arab Football Association and the Arab League to support Palestinian football.
Ahmed al-Lulahi, who plays for the Rafah City Stars team, said the friendly match gave footballers an opportunity to release their energy and spectators a chance to briefly escape the harsh conditions of the war.
Al-Lulahi said the matches were organized through individual initiatives and personal resources, expressing hope that they would help create new hope in Gaza.
Heavy losses in the sports world
One of the first steps toward reviving sporting activities in Gaza was taken in March 2026. The first official five-a-side football tournament was held on three fields that remained standing after the attacks.
According to figures released by the Palestinian Sports Media Association in July, approximately 1,012 athletes were killed in Israeli attacks. A total of 285 sports facilities and fields were also destroyed in the Gaza Strip.
Although a ceasefire has been in effect in the Gaza Strip since October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks on the area have continued. Palestinian sources said that more than 74,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 175,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, while much of the infrastructure had been destroyed.
