Borrow shoes, borrow joy: Football thrives in Gaza camps

In the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, where tents stretch across the sand and long lines snake for water and food, Asaad Al-Azzabi prepares for a match far from anything he has ever known.

Before the war, Al-Azzabi played for Al-Tajammu Club in Rafah, where he and his teammates had access to pitches, training rooms, coaches and equipment.

Borrowed boots

Now, he’s lucky if he can find boots to play with. “Sometimes I borrow a pair of shoes from friends or patch them up with tape,” he said.

His home is now a tent in Al-Rahma Camp, a shelter for Rafah refugees, where access to clean water and sanitation services is very scarce. He lives alone, after his wife left for Jordan with their son, who was suffering from cancer, for treatment.

According to UN data, around 1.7 million people live in around 1,600 refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, most of whom are in temporary or informal locations. Most residents depend on water brought in by trucks and are forced to face restrictions on the entry of equipment, fuel and repair materials.

Amidst the struggle to meet basic needs, Mr Al-Azzabi is preparing for a match with the nearby Sheikh Al-Eid Camp. He explained the game plan to his players by drawing pictures on the sand, before the team walked to a field located between refugee tents.

The games seemed to be more than just a sporting activity – they were a respite from the hardships of everyday life in the camp.

Children and young men gathered around the sandy pitch, applauding the players, some of whom arrived after spending hours queuing for food, water or to charge batteries.

Something that is nothing

Referee Alaa Abu Taha, a referee with the Palestine Football Association and a resident of Rafah refugee, said football had become “the only way out” for many people in Gaza.

“With the most limited resources, we tried to play. Now there is no sports infrastructure. The court where we stand now was originally prepared for basketball and volleyball, but our people created everything out of nothing,” he said.

The sports sector in Gaza has seen widespread destruction since the outbreak of the war. According to the Palestinian Football Association, hundreds of athletes were killed, including many footballers, while hundreds of sports facilities were damaged or destroyed, including pitches, club headquarters and training halls.

In Al-Mawasi, this defeat did not prevent the players from holding a championship between refugee camps.

Big game

The match started in front of a small group of displaced spectators, with Al-Azzabi taking part in boots held together with plastic tape. At the end of the match, Al-Rahma Camp defeated Sheikh Al-Eid Camp 2–1.

After the final whistle sounded, young men from the camp hoisted him and his teammates onto their shoulders, while children and teenagers celebrated among the tents. For a few brief moments, the sound of movement disappeared from the scene, and football emerged as a rare space of excitement.

“In this difficult situation, being able to come out and play a match like this is a very good thing,” said Mr Al-Azzabi. “Congratulations to our camp. I dedicate this championship to my wife and children in Jordan, and I wish my children a speedy recovery.”

For him, this match was more than just a sporting victory. It is a message to his distant family and an attempt to preserve what remains of his life as a former player, chasing the ball as if it were the last thing connecting him to his pre-war self.