The Destruction of Sports Infrastructure in the Gaza Sector
Issam Khalidi
Palestinian sports
culture is diverse, versatile, and entwined with all aspects of life, ranging
from economic, cultural, political, and social, to many other aspects. They
have been adversely affected by Palestinian conditions for a long time. And at
the same time, sports, acting as soft power, have played an important role in
the Palestinian political landscape during the last few decades.
Historical overview
The fact that
sports are not an unfamiliar phenomenon in Gaza, and that they have flourished
since the 1920s, is worth noting. In May 1925 Filastin reported about a game between the Orthodox Club in Jaffa
and the Sports Club in Gaza which was one of the first athletic clubs
established in Palestine:
“What happened in
Gaza recently was one of the most striking manifestations of this [sports]
renaissance. Their patriotic spirit and affinity were evident during and after
the game."
In 1934, the Gaza Sports Club was founded. A
few clubs were later formed in Gaza and Khan Yunis during the 1940s. As far
back as the early fifties, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees established service centers in Jabalia, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Al-Shati,
Al-Nuseirat, Al-Bureij, and Al-Maghazi, which became clubs with their own
teams, participated in local and Arab championships, and played a leading role
in the development of sports in the Strip. It is estimated that there were around
fifty-eight sports clubs in the Strip before October 7, 2023, with football
teams competing in the Premier League, the First, Second and Third Divisions.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that
sports in the Gaza Strip differ from those in the Diasporas in many ways. It is
worth mentioning that the Palestinian sports movement center moved from Jaffa
to Gaza after the Nakba. During the period of Egyptian administration in the
Gaza Strip, there was a remarkable growth in a number of fields, including
sports (which retained its Palestinian identity during this time).
In
1962, the Palestinian Sports Federation - the Football Committee in the Gaza Strip
- was re-established (founded in 1931, re-established in 1944), and it was
based at the Gaza Sports Club. During this period of time, sports activists
such as Elias Manna, Zaki Khayal, and Subhi Farah (who were actively involved
in the sports movement between the 1930s and 1940s) were seeking to form
several sports federations for the majority of the games that were being played
at that time, and they succeeded in doing so.
The Palestine Football Association with the
Palestine Olympic Committee sought to join the International Football
Association FIFA and the International Olympic Committee IOC. They sent an
application, attaching all the requirements that the International Olympic
Committee requires.
It is unfortunate that the Palestinian sports
federations were not accepted by most international federations, including the
Palestinian Football Association (with the exception of table tennis and
basketball, both of which were recognized in 1964, and athletics in 1965),
based on the pretext that there is no state named Palestine (after consulting
the United Nations) and that the Gaza Strip is governed by Egyptian
administration and does not possess an independent status under the law.
Palestine took part in the first Arab Games
in 1953 and the third in Morocco in 1961. In 1966, Palestine participated in
the Games of Emerging New Forces (GANEFO) in Phnom Penh. As part of the
delegation, there was Zaki Khayal, a prominent Palestinian sports leader, as
well as administrators Zuhair al-Dabbagh and Elias Manna from the Gaza Strip. A
Palestinian team was assembled by bringing together members from inside the
Palestinian territory (the Gaza Strip) as well as from the diasporas (Egypt,
Syria, and Lebanon).
As late as the
1970s, the Gaza Strip Clubs Association Rabitat al-Andiya was formed.
Both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank club associations
Genocide and the destruction of the sports infrastructure
There has been a
lot of destruction of sports infrastructure as part of the genocidal war. It is
not only killings, massacres, torture and starvation that constitute genocide,
but also erasure of history and identity as well as the destruction of all
cultural heritages, including Palestinian sports, which have been regarded as a
cultural heritage for a century now. For decades, Palestinian sports have been
a nightmare for Israel. This can be attributed to sports featuring the name of
Palestine, the Palestinian flag, and the Palestinian people.
As a result of the
destruction caused by Zionist terrorism in the Gaza Strip, the effects of this
destruction are not very different from the effects of the 1948 Nakba (‘the
catastrophe’). As part of the genocidal war that was waged on Gaza, a number of
sports facilities were destroyed, as well as athletes, coaches, sports leaders,
and sports journalists who were killed. It is well known that during the siege
period that started in 2007, the occupation targeted these facilities and
athletes, claiming they were being used to launch missiles from them. According
to reports, more than 410 athletes have been killed and fifty sports facilities
have been destroyed. Over seventy percent of the sports facilities located in
the Gaza Strip have been destroyed according to some statistics. Not to mention
the complete paralysis of all sports activities.
Unfortunately, due to the difficult
circumstances the sector is struggling through, there is no accurate data on
the extent of sports facilities destruction. There are, however, some
estimations and data that have been gathered from the Supreme Council for Youth
and Sports, the Palestinian Football Association, and from some colleagues
working in the sports sector in the Gaza Strip who might have some insight into
the situation.
Martyrs
There have been over 410 martyrs from the
sports and scouting movements who have been killed since the war began last
October. It has been reported that the Palestinian Football Federation has
indicated in its latest statement that 79 children have been martyred since
October 7. It is clear that the occupation has been targeting them in stadiums.
This was documented in a video clip broadcast by Al Jazeera on June 10, when
occupation forces bombed a group of displaced people while they were playing
football in the yard of Al-Awda Schools in the Abasan Al-Kabira region, when
the occupation forces were bombing a group of displaced people.
There are hundreds of examples of the
brutality of the occupation in regard to the martyrdom and torture of
athletes. There are a number of examples of these crimes, including the
cold-blooded execution of Freij Al-Hallaq, a veteran athlete and Alzheimer's
patient, by the Israeli occupation forces in front of Al-Shifa Hospital, which
led to him bleeding for a long time. There was also a Palestinian karate
champion and member of the Palestinian national team, Nagham Abu Samra, who was
also martyred in the bombing of her home in the Nuseirat camp after she had
been hit by shrapnel and had entered a coma after being hit by shrapnel. During
the inhumane Israeli siege and destruction of Gaza's health system,
long-distance runner Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian to compete in the
Olympic Games in 1996, also passed away in Gaza as a result of the siege and
destruction of the Gazan health system.
In Gaza, clubs mourned the loss of their
cadres, players, coaches, athletes and coaches who were martyred. Furthermore,
there was a huge support among Arab sports communities, especially the Jordanian
Al-Wehdat Club, which was grieving for the martyr Mohammed Barakat, a former player
of the Palestinian national team. Furthermore, Hani Al-Musaddar, the former
player and assistant coach of the Palestinian Olympic team at the time, was
also honored with a special tribute last June.
Before he was martyred, Mohammad Barakat,
broadcast his will by posting a video to social media platforms. It was during
the time of intense raids and clashes in Khan Yunis. “I'm asking for
forgiveness and prayers. You're my beloved, my dad, and my family. I entrust
you to my family, but nothing could happen without God's will. This might be my
last words and the last time you see me." Then he recited verses from the
holy Quran.
Clubs
As a result of airstrikes, artillery
shelling, or the ground invasion of several areas of the Gaza Strip, it is
estimated that fifty clubs have been completely destroyed. It has been reported
that twelve club headquarters have been razed to the ground in the Gaza province
without leaving a trace. In addition, seven clubs bulldozed in the northern
Gaza Strip, and five clubs' headquarters were directly shelled in the central
region. As a result of the ground invasion of Khan Yunis by the occupation
forces, six club headquarters were destroyed during the invasion.
There was a complete destruction of the
headquarters of the Gaza Sports Club (the dean of clubs in the Gaza Strip,
founded in 1934), as well as most of the facilities, such as a football field,
tennis courts, and a multi-purpose indoor hall, of this club. As a result of
the shelling, the headquarters of the Friends Equestrian Club as well as the
Jabalia Services Club were completely destroyed. As a result of the current war
of extermination against the Palestinian people, the Friendship Sports Club Sadaqa
in Gaza City has also had to pay a heavy price. The main stadium, the indoor
hall, as well as its headquarters were destroyed by the occupation forces. Due
to the bombing, this club lost twenty members. On the other hand, 15 martyrs
were killed when the Ittihad Al-Shuja'iya Club was bombed by Israeli forces.
Stadiums
It has been reported by the Supreme Council
for Youth and Sports that the most notable stadiums that have been destroyed in
Gaza and the North are Palestine Stadium, Yarmouk Stadium (built in 1951), Beit
Hanoun Municipal Stadium, Beit Lahia Stadium, and Gaza Sports Club. Additionally,
Israel also bombed the United Nations Development Program Stadium in Rafah,
which is operated by the UNDP. The Khan Yunis Municipal Stadium and Sports City
have also been destroyed. Also, the Al-Nuseirat Municipal Stadium and the
baseball and softball stadium in Al-Shati Camp were similarly destroyed. In
addition, the Rafah Municipal Stadium was converted into a field hospital, and
the headquarters of the Rafah Services Club became a center for distributing
humanitarian aid to the displaced people in Rafah.
Nelly
Al-Masry points out that, "because of the genocidal war which Israel has waged
on Gaza since October 7, the Martyr Mohammed Al-Durrah Stadium has suddenly
become a shelter for the displaced Palestinians.
In addition to that, it is also known that
Israel has turned football stadiums in the Gaza Strip into prisons, torture
centers, and execution grounds. At the Yarmouk stadium, dozens of civilians
have been forced to undress in the open. There are also a number of dirt
stadiums that have been turned into mass graves in the Gaza Strip, including
one that is adjacent to the Indonesian Hospital, which is north of Gaza. This
is because of the massive Israeli bombings that killed so many people. As a
result of these destructions, not only clubs and stadiums, but also the
headquarters of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, the Palestinian Football
Association, and the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports have been demolished.
Other
destructive effects
In accordance with statistics from the
Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, it has been reported that the value of
sports material losses has reached about 20 million dollars or more as a result
of the destruction of stadiums and various sports facilities. There was a
complete cessation and paralysis of the sports activities as a result of this
war of extermination. Because of this, more than 6,000 players, coaches, and
sports cadres have lost their only source of income. So they have to rely on
humanitarian aid for food and medicine for their families because they can't
afford it. A number of players, coaches and club cadres have also been denied
the opportunity to represent Palestine in recent Arab and international
championships due to the war.
Many athletes, like others, were forced to
leave their areas of residence after their homes were completely destroyed in
various areas of the Gaza Strip. This reflects the fact that there is a state
of displacement and a sense of insecurity as a result of barbaric aggression
and genocide. It was in an interview with journalist Nelly Al-Masry that
footballer Mohammed Silmi, who played for Egyptian Al-Ahly Club, Ittihad Shuja'iyya and
Ittihad Beit Hanoun, revealed the following statement: "I was forced to
flee my home in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in Gaza City due to the escalating
conflict. I never dreamed that I would be displaced from the place where I have
experienced the most beautiful moments of my life. This is the place where I
have scored goals and celebrated with fans. However, whenever I enter that
place, I feel distressed and suffering.”
"When the
war started on October 7, the Premier League was still in its beginning. I
played against my former team, Ittihad Shuja'iyya. I felt heartbroken because
of my old teammates, with whom I had the greatest memories of my life. I felt a
lot of sadness for them. As a consequence, all my dreams and ambitions were
destroyed, and I was affected psychologically, physically, and
spiritually," Al-Silmi said.
When Al-Silmi was asked about his sixth displacement
with his family between Gaza City and areas of the central governorate, he
said, “I ultimately settled in Al-Durra Stadium, which is located in the middle
of the Strip. My only concern at the beginning was to provide a tent for my
family. I wanted to protect my children from the cold."
Expulsion of
Israel from FIFA for genocide
As a result of this genocidal war, the Palestinian Football Association is calling on FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to take a strong stand against this violation and hold the Israeli occupation accountable for what it is going on in Gaza.
A draft resolution was sent by the
Palestinian Football Association to the FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17th.
As part of the draft resolution, Israel was to be held responsible for
violations of Palestinian sports rights and to be expelled from FIFA for its
actions. On the Palestinian Football Association website, Jibril Rajoub writes:
"A draft resolution has been submitted to FIFA Congress calling on Israel
to be held accountable for its violations of Palestinian sports since October
7, 2023."
The FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however,
has rejected calls for a vote to be held immediately on the issue of expelling
Israel from FIFA. According to him, a legal assessment will be conducted as
soon as the FIFA Council meets in late July to discuss the allegations. At the
next FIFA Council meeting, it is certain that FIFA will not condemn Israel and
approve its expulsion from the organization.
This is not surprising. Initially, the
meeting was supposed to take place at the end of July, then after the Paris
Olympics, then until the end of August, then until the end of October. That
means FIFA has postponed this request four times. It is obvious that this is
nothing more than a bluff on the part of FIFA in order to avoid making a fair
decision in favor of the Palestinian Football Association in the long run.
It has
always been a FIFA policy to claim that it has a neutral position regarding the
"conflict" between Israel and Palestine. It is obvious that any party
that is neutral on this issue is complicit in Israel's extermination war on the
Gaza Strip and must be held accountable for its actions.
It has been claimed by FIFA and Israel that the Palestinian Football Association is exploiting sports for political purposes. There is a close and intertwined relationship between sports and politics that cannot be separated. There is an inseparable connection between the two. In addition to the fact that sports seem to be political activities, there is no doubt that there is no other activity that can evoke nationalistic and patriotic feelings in a way that sports can. Furthermore, this claim also stems from hypocrisy alone. Both FIFA and Israel exploit sports in politics when it serves their interests, and at the same time they criticize the Palestinian Football Association when it is used in a way that harms their interests.
This began in the 1920s. In the 1920s, the
Beitar paramilitary organization pretended to be a sports organization in order
to hide its true nature. In the first place, it must be noted that the Zionists
are the first to have harnessed all the efforts that have been made over the
last few decades to utilize sport as a political and national vehicle. In order
to suppress the Arab Revolt of 1936, Jewish sports teams maintained close
relations with the British government. Furthermore, Jewish sports organizations
collaborated with Zionist paramilitary terrorist organizations, such as the
Haganah, Palmach, Irgun, Lehi, as well as other Zionist groups.
Conclusion
Towards the end, there are two questions that come to mind that are worth taking note of. The first question is: Will it be easy to rebuild the damaged sports infrastructure? A second question that needs to be asked is whether the level of sports growth in the Gaza Strip will ever be the same as it was before the fall of more than four hundred martyred athletes and sports leaders, in addition to the destruction of the infrastructure?
There
is no doubt that the answer to these two questions will be a challenging one. Especially when it comes to the Gaza Strip's political future, we are unable to make any predictions
Sports in the Gaza Strip have a long history and roots that stretch back several decades making it steadfast against ravages of hurricanes. Despite the occupation and
the obstacles, it put in front of Palestinian sports, previous experiences have
shown that
Based on previous experiences, we are
convinced that Palestinian sports are characterized by their ability to
withstand and recover quickly from adversity, and this is exactly what we saw
in the Gaza Strip after the Nakba. Moreover, after Palestine was accepted into
the International Federation of Association Football in 1999 (i.e. one year
after its acceptance into FIFA), Palestine's FIFA ranking in 1999 was 191, which rose to 73rd in 2018, and
currently ranks 94th - 96th in the FIFA rankings.
Aside from that, the Palestinian national
football team reached the second round of the Qatar Asian Cup in 2023 despite
the extermination war that the Palestinians have been subjected to. In its
history, this was the first time. Furthermore, it is the first time in its
history that it has reached the final round of the World Cup qualifiers. In the
meantime, Palestine participated in the largest sports delegation in the
country's history during the 2024 Paris Olympics with the largest delegation
ever. As the second Palestinian to qualify for the Olympics through
qualification and points in its history, the athlete Omar Ismail Hantouli has
qualified in Taekwondo as well.
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