Professional football in Palestine has officially resumed this week, marking a poignant return to the pitch following a three-year hiatus. For sports commentator Khalil Jadallah, the occasion was deeply bittersweet. Having spent the last three years mourning the loss of athletes, he described the experience as a complex mix of “a feeling of joy at returning after such an absence, but also a feeling of loss.” He noted that the community had lost players, fans, administrators, and referees throughout the conflict.
The Palestinian Football Association reported that professional sports activities were suspended following the October 7, 2023, attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,014 Palestinian athletes. To honor those lost, the association has launched a new tournament titled the “1,000 Martyrs Cup.” This competition features over 200 teams representing the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and various refugee camps in Lebanon.
At the Faisal Al Husseini Stadium in Al-Ram, the opening match between Jabal Al Mukaber Club and Shabab Al Khaleel SC drew thousands of spectators. Before kickoff, children carried a flag wrapped to resemble a body, which was later unfurled across the pitch as the national anthem played. A memorial bearing the names of deceased athletes was also unveiled outside the stadium, located near the West Bank separation barrier. Security forces were heavily deployed for the event, a notable presence in a town frequently subject to military raids.
During the match, the game was paused at the 10-minute and 14-second mark for a minute of silence. Electronic screens surrounding the venue displayed the message, “Football returns to Palestine.” Spectator Maysan Suleiman, 35, expressed that she attended to support the tournament’s message of unity rather than a specific team, stating, “After all, they’re all sons of Palestine.”
The tournament is also being held in Gaza, where the opening match took place in Deir Al Balah between Khadamat Rafah and Shabab Rafah. The setting highlighted the stark reality of the region, with fans watching from plastic chairs on a field surrounded by palm trees, while other local pitches have been repurposed as makeshift camps for displaced civilians. Player Khalil Matar reflected on the shift, noting that football once represented life, but the war brought the careers of many players to a total standstill.
While the football association has consistently accused Israel of targeting athletes and destroying sporting infrastructure, Israel has maintained that 12 of the football figures killed in Gaza, including a FIFA-registered referee, were affiliated with militant groups—a claim the association rejects. Despite these tensions and the logistical hurdles West Bank teams face navigating military checkpoints, participants remain committed to the sport.
Veteran manager Samir Issa, who watched the opening match from the stands, emphasized the cultural significance of the game, stating, “Football has become more important than politics today.” He added that sport is a vital part of the people’s culture and that Palestinians possess the right to practice it in all forms. Abdullah Abu Ghassan of the Shabab Jaba team echoed this sentiment, affirming a collective determination to continue sporting activities and foster the development of the youth. The report also notes that at the 10-minute, 14-second mark, the referee ordered the game to stop for a minute of silence for the dead before the crowd grew loud again. The report also notes that with families, women and children seated in a separate section, thousands of mainly young people attended the game. The report also notes that i came to support the idea (of the tournament) itself. The report also notes that where Israeli strikes have left much of the territory in ruins and some football fields have been turned into makeshift camps for those displaced by the war, the tournament opened simultaneously in Gaza.
