Jabalia, Gaza Strip — Gaza’s main soccer stadium was flattened during the Israel-Hamas war and the site has been turned into a tent camp for families displaced by the fighting.
Inside the Jabalia camp, the Palestinian Football Federation carved out a new space for the sport. Volunteers and organizers cleared rubble, rolled out worn artificial turf and installed a fence beside the shells of ruined buildings to create an improvised playing field.
Training and Matches Resume
On Wednesday, Palestinian amputees used the makeshift pitch for training sessions, practicing mobility, ball control and teamwork despite limited facilities. Then on Saturday, two local teams faced off in a match on the same ground, bringing a moment of normalcy and communal spirit to the camp.
Despite widespread destruction and a fragile ceasefire, residents are reclaiming fragments of ordinary life. For many here, soccer provides physical rehabilitation, social connection and a brief respite from the hardships surrounding them.
Note: This photo gallery was curated by AP photo editors.
Palestinian players of Al-Ahly Club warm up before a soccer match with Gaza Sports Club at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinian players of Gaza Sports Club, top center, and Al-Ahly Club, left, vie for the ball during a soccer match at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A Palestinian player of Gaza Sports Club, left, controls the ball during a soccer match with Al-Ahly Club at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinian children watch amputee soccer players training on a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli army bombardments during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinian amputee soccer players train on a newly built field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli army bombardments during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A Palestinian goalkeeper of Al-Ahly Club saves a shot by Gaza Sports Club's player, center, during a soccer match at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinian amputee soccer players train on a newly built field in Gaza City, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A Palestinian player of Gaza Sports Club, right, controls the ball during a soccer match with Al-Ahly Club at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinian players of Gaza Sports Club and Al-Ahly Club take part in a soccer match at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Palestinians watch a soccer match between Al-Ahly Club and Gaza Sports Club at a newly constructed field surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli ground and air operations, in Gaza City, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
