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Makeshift World Cup screenings across Gaza have attracted large crowds, providing welcome respite and moments of euphoria for Palestinians in the shattered enclave.
Since the start of the tournament, thousands of spectators have flocked from tents and wrecked homes to watch matches, even perching on the rubble of buildings — flattened by more than two years of Israeli bombardment — to catch a glimpse in public screenings.
Enthusiasm in the territory of 2.1mn has been boosted by the progress of Arab teams, with many Palestinians getting behind Egypt before its exit to Argentina this week.
Others have celebrated the progress of Morocco, which is set to play France in Thursday’s quarter-final match.
“There is a lot of fervour here for football despite the pain,” said Saied Abu Aoun, who was preparing to watch the match in Gaza City. “People are ignoring their wounds to free themselves for the World Cup. Everyone attends: youth, women and children.”
Some of the screens providing free viewing on the streets have been put up by the Egyptian aid committee in Gaza, but Abu Aoun added that big supermarkets and mobile phone shops with their own electricity generators had also erected outdoor screens.
“They even provide the flags of participating countries like Egypt and Morocco,” said Abu Aoun.
While a ceasefire in October brought the worst of the war between Israel and Hamas to an end, Gaza has remained trapped in dire circumstances. The majority of the population have lost their homes, while reconstruction is yet to begin as progress on a US-brokered ceasefire deal stalls.
Israel still controls more than half of the territory and has continued near-daily air strikes despite the ceasefire. Mohamed al-Wahidi, who helped organise screenings for the Egyptian aid committee, was killed when an Israeli strike hit a taxi in which he was travelling on Tuesday.
Some 285 sports facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged in the war, Mostafa Siam — secretary-general of the Palestinian Union of Sports Media — told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency this month.
He said more than 500 football players, coaches and referees had been killed in the war and that the majority of pitches had been either destroyed or were being used by displaced people.
The World Cup matches have underscored the close ties between Gazans and neighbouring Egypt, whose cultural, political and sporting scenes have been closely followed by Palestinians for decades.
Gazans have long been passionate about Egyptian football, supporting clubs in the country as well as European teams such as Barcelona and Liverpool — where the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah long played.
Crowds have celebrated the progress of Egypt and Morocco as they advanced through the tournament, with the former reaching the round of 16 for the first time.
Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian coach, dedicated Egypt’s win against Australia to the Palestinian people and displayed a Palestinian flag on the pitch.
“The games are creating a space for happiness,” said Mostafa Ibrahim, political analyst and writer in Gaza.
Tuesday’s upset for Egypt — they were ahead 2-0 against Argentina until conceding three late goals that knocked them out — has been felt as keenly in Gaza as in Egypt itself, where fans have been incensed by what they insist was unfair refereeing.
“We were happy after the first two goals,” said Mohamed, a cousin of Abu Aoun.
Mohamed said he was so bitter about the loss that he would reluctantly back France over Morocco because, as he put it, “it is the only team that can defeat Argentina”.
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