Football Brings Joy to Gaza Camps Despite Harsh Conditions

When Asaad Al-Azzabi laces up his football boots held together with plastic tape, he's preparing for more than just a match—he's creating pockets of hope for thousands living in tents across Gaza.

The former Al-Tajammu Club player now calls Al-Rahma Camp home, a temporary settlement in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis where 1.7 million displaced people struggle daily for access to clean water and food. His wife and cancer-stricken son left for Jordan to seek treatment, leaving him alone in a tent far from the training halls and equipment he once knew.

But Al-Azzabi refused to let football disappear from his life. He organizes matches between displacement camps, drawing game plans in the sand and borrowing boots when he can't patch his own worn-out pair.

The tournament he's created has transformed a sandy pitch among the tents into something extraordinary. Children and young men gather to watch, some arriving fresh from hours-long queues for food, water, or battery charging, finding relief in 90 minutes of play.

Sunny's Take

Referee Alaa Abu Taha, who works with the Palestinian Football Association, calls football "the only outlet" for many people in Gaza right now. Despite the destruction of hundreds of sports facilities and the loss of many athletes, players are creating tournaments with almost nothing.

The recent match between Al-Rahma Camp and Sheikh Al-Eid Camp drew excited spectators who cheered as Al-Azzabi and his teammates competed on makeshift grounds. When Al-Rahma won 2-1, the crowd lifted players onto their shoulders, and children celebrated among the tents as if their team had won a championship.

For Al-Azzabi, the victory meant more than points on a scoreboard. He dedicated the win to his wife and son in Jordan, sending them a message of hope across the distance.

The tournament continues to grow, with more camps joining and more displaced people finding brief respites from hardship. These matches prove that even in the most difficult circumstances, people find ways to create joy, build community, and hold onto the parts of themselves that make life worth living.

Football has become Al-Azzabi's connection to who he was before displacement, and for thousands of spectators, it's a reminder that moments of celebration still exist even when everything else feels impossible.