Wednesday, September 11, 2024

  

             

The Destruction of Sports Infrastructure in the Gaza Sector


Issam Khalidi


    Palestinian culture has always been influenced by sport, which has always been an integral part of it. In addition to enriching Palestinian culture, sport has also always placed a strong emphasis on the national identity of the Palestinian people. On top of that, it has been one of the most effective ways to raise young generations in terms of their morals. Their participation in sports instilled in them a spirit of sharing, a willingness to give time and effort, a sense of self-denial, a commitment to moral values, and a love for their homeland, Palestine. Further, sport has been serving as a very significant means of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood among the Palestinian youth, a very important task. There is no doubt that it has the potential to develop brotherhood in the strongest way possible. In fact, sport (and in particular the Scout movement) has a profound impact on the development of brotherhood in a way that few other activities have.

 

  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 March 1927 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." [1]

 

   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. [2]

 

   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).[3]

 

    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. [4]

 

    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.[5]

 

   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).[6]

 

   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 cooperated with each other. A number of matches were played between these two associations in the field of football. [7] As a result of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian sports movement's center of gravity has been moved to Gaza. Sports were organized under the supervision of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport. Despite the occupation's obstacles to Palestinian sports, the sector grew until the siege on Gaza began in 2007. In the course of this siege, the Gaza Strip witnessed a decline due to the division between Fatah and Hamas, as well as Israeli restrictions on sports.

 

 

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 70% 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.[8]

 

    Unfortunately, due to the difficult circumstances the Gaza 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.[9] 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 regards 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.[10]

 

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. Furthermore, 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. [11]

 

  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'iyya Club was bombed by Israeli forces.[12]

 

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. [13]

 

    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. It's as if the stadiums are silent, as if the fans' voices have disappeared, and that football has come to an end, as if life and football's achievements are over. Among the displaced people, there was growing pain and groaning as they were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in this stadium in order to survive. It was because of harsh living conditions.[14]

 

    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.[15]

 

    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.” [16]

 

"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. [17]

 

  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."[18]

 

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. [19]

 

  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."[20]

 

  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 use sport 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.[21]

 

  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 Hagenah, Palmach, Irgun, Lehi, as well as other Zionist groups.[22]

 

Conclusion

  Towards the end, there are two questions that come to mind that are worth taking not 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. The recovery will be tough and challenging, but it’s not impossible. It is true that sports will not return to their former glory. However, as it has been demonstrated throughout history that every time Israel attempts to destroy the Palestinian people, their history and culture they come back strong and more resilient than before. Among the many characteristics that distinguish our people from others is their ability to return to the situation they were in before the harsh blows were dealt to them. In other words, it is a hallmark of the Palestinian people that they have become resilient over the years.

  

Sport 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 Palestinian sports have continued to grow and progress. Also, Israel’s destruction of Palestinian sports may inspire Palestinian sports to stay competitive in the future and fight for their place in the sports arena as means of proving themselves. It is certain that they will work very hard to achieve the success they desire in all aspects of their sports activities. It is also necessary to mention that, at the end of the day, the international community's solidarity and support regarding the suffering of our people in Palestine, as well as the Arab community's support, will have a significant impact on the re-building of the Palestinian sports movement as well as its infrastructure, in Palestine.

 

   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 (i.e. one year after its acceptance into FIFA) was 191, which rose to 73rd in 2018, and currently ranks 94th 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.

 

Endnotes



[1] Filastin, 15 March, 1927

[2] See this link for more info about sports in Palestine: www.hpalestinesports.net

[3] Issam Khalidi, One Hundred Years of Football in Palestine (Amman: Dar al-Shorook 2013) p. 100 – 101.

[4] Issam Khalidi, One Hundred Years, p. 104.

[5] Issam Khalidi, One Hundred Years, p. 107.

[8] Awad Al-Rjoub, Palestinian Sports … 400 Martyr and the Destruction of 70% of the Clubs [Al-Riyada Al-Filastiniyya… 400 Shaheed wa Tadmir 70% mina Al-Andiya wal Malaeb], Al-Jazeera, 3 August 2024. الرياضة الفلسطينية.. 400 شهيد وتدمير 70% من الأندية والملاعب | سياسة | الجزيرة نت (aljazeera.net)

[9] Awad Al-Rjoub,

[11] Palestine Football Association. The Israeli Violations [Al-Intihakat Al-Israiliyyah] الانتهاكات الإسرائيلية (pfa.ps)

[12] Ibid

[13] Ibid

[14] Nelly Al-Masri. The Stadiums did not Intercede for their Stars, [Al-Malaeb lam Tashfa’ li-Nujoumiha], Al-Jazeera, 30 August 2024.  الملاعب لم تشفع لنجومها | الجزيرة نت (aljazeera.net)

[16] Nelly Al-Masri, The Stadiums Did not Intercede for their Stars,

[17] Ibid

[18] Ibid

[20] Ibid

[21] Ibid

[22] Ibid

 


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