GAZA: After two years of conflict, football competitions have resumed in Gaza, with matches taking place amid the ruins of destroyed buildings. According to Reuters, in the first tournament since the war, the teams Jabalya Youth and Al-Sadaqa faced off in Gaza City, ending in a draw. In another match, the teams Beit Hanoun and Al-Shuja’iya also drew. Despite the ties, spectators enthusiastically cheered for their teams. Yusuf Jundiye, a 21-year-old player from Jabalya Youth, expressed mixed emotions: “When you step onto the field, many of your teammates are missing; some have been martyred, some are injured, and some have left Gaza for treatment, so this joy isn’t complete.” Reuters reports that the 9,000-seat Yarmouk Stadium was completely destroyed during the war. In preparation for the tournament, the Palestinian Football Federation cleared some of the rubble, erected fences, and cleaned up remnants of the old artificial pitch to make the matches possible.
