Overview
- During the June 2026 World Cup, Gazans packed makeshift cafes, tents and displacement camps to watch matches despite frequent electricity and internet outages, scarce fuel for generators and fear of bombardment.
- Visible gestures by Spanish players and Madrid’s 2024 recognition of the State of Palestine have pushed many in Gaza to support Spain as an expression of political and humanitarian solidarity.
- Large parts of Gaza’s sports infrastructure have been destroyed or converted into shelters, stopping regular leagues and forcing fans and players to improvise viewing and training spaces.
- Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports about 6,000 amputations from the war, driving a surge in demand for prosthetics and rehabilitation and prompting the Palestine Amputee Football Association to expand programs.
- On one surviving pitch in Deir Al Balah, Palestine’s first women’s amputee team trains under severe resource limits with the goal of competing at the 2027 Women’s Amputee Football World Cup as sport becomes a platform for recovery and visibility in a territory that has suffered mass death and displacement.