Gaza youth tournament proceeds on three surviving pitches as sports infrastructure faces systematic destruction
Players navigate rubble to reach fields in Jabalia, Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah while officials criticise FIFA for failing to sanction the Israeli Football Association.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has organised a youth tournament on three of the few remaining viable pitches in Gaza, including Palestine Stadium and sites in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah. This initiative takes place against a backdrop where over 560 individuals affiliated with the sports sector have been killed or destroyed, alongside 265 facilities damaged or demolished since the conflict began in October 2023.
Sixteen-year-old Mohammed Eyad Azzam, orphaned by an Israeli air strike in the Jabalia refugee camp in October 2024, is among the participants. Azzam, who previously played for the Khadamat Jabalia club, now serves as the sole provider for his elderly grandmother. He described the journey to the fields as a life-threatening ordeal, noting that players must walk three to four kilometres through tents and rubble to reach the pitches.
The tournament represents one of the last remaining opportunities for organised play in the enclave. While the event offers a temporary respite, the physical conditions remain hazardous. Officials from the PFA acknowledge that the security situation is extremely dangerous, with participants exposed to the risk of sudden air strikes while travelling to and from the grounds.
Despite the targeted destruction of clubs and academies, with all 56 football clubs across Gaza severely affected, the PFA continues to operate. Mustafa Siyam, head of the media department at the association, stated that the determination of the players and the association pushes them to resume activities to send a message that Palestinian youth are capable of rising from the rubble.
PFA officials have expressed deep frustration with the international governing body, FIFA, regarding its lack of action against the Israeli Football Association. Siyam highlighted a perceived double standard, contrasting FIFA's swift suspension of Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine with the inaction taken in the case of Gaza.
With no immediate sanctions imposed on the Israeli Football Association, the PFA is now seeking justice via international sports tribunals. The association continues to await a permanent ceasefire and the opening of borders to facilitate the rebuilding of infrastructure and allow local talent to join national teams.
