The Arab Cup has brought a precious joy not seen in Gaza in some time. In the heart of the camps scattered throughout the strip, where darkness precedes night and hardship precedes dawn, families gather around small screens that barely dispel the gloom, but they conquer something far greater: despair.
These humble screens have become a vast window through which people glimpse a rare moment of joy. Finally, here is a moment in which they watch the Palestinian national team’s matches in the 2025 Arab Cup held in Qatar. These scenes are not merely fleeting sporting events, but rather collective rituals that reconnect people with life and give them a new reason to smile.
Arab Cup success for Palestine
For the people of Gaza, the matches of the “Fida’i” (Palestinian national team) are not just football competitions, but psychological spaces where they can finally breathe.
With every attack, every pass, and every scoring attempt, people regain a piece of their lost energy. For them, the players are not just athletes, but messengers of hope who carry the burdens of an entire people and transform them into determination on the field. Every player is a son of every home, and every attempt at running, pressing, or shooting is proof that the Palestinian will continues to defy the impossible.
In tents across the Gaza Strip, dozens of families gathered before the start of one of the crucial matches. Children sat in the front rows, with adults behind them waving flags and holding hearts. Chants of “Palestine… Palestine” filled the air, and breaths were held in anticipation of the opening whistle.
As the match began, the atmosphere in the camp transformed completely; the tents became a stage, and faces became screens reflecting every moment of tension and joy. Between attacks, shouts rose, prayers swelled, and every second became a story of hope.
Collective
The families in the camps didn’t support any one player in particular, but stood behind the entire team. Messages of encouragement and prayers came from mothers, fathers, young people, and children. Everyone prayed for the players’ safety and success, as if their hearts extended from Gaza to the stadiums in Doha. The chants inside the tents were louder than the sounds of shelling they had grown accustomed to, as if the sound of joy, when born, banished the fear of war, even if only for a moment.
With every match the Palestinian national team played, families would gather with the same fervor, as if they were facing the entire world through their team. Each time the “Fedayeen” (Palestinian national team) finished a half or a match with a positive result, the camp would erupt in celebration despite the surrounding pain. Flags fluttered above the tents, cheers filled the narrow alleyways, and children ran among the stones and mud puddles, shouting the names of their favorite players.
Historic
When Palestine’s historic qualification for the quarter-finals, joy exploded throughout Gaza. People felt that this team represented their resilience, and that every point scored by the players was like a ray of light piercing the darkness. The tents celebrated despite the wounds, as if the team had restored their belief that tomorrow could be brighter, and that Palestine was capable of finding joy even in the harshest of circumstances.
From inside the tents, amidst the sounds of cheering, prayers, and tears hidden behind smiles, everyone understood that sports are not just competition, but a space for creating hope. The Palestinian players succeeded in carving out this vast space, proving that the will of an entire people can be embodied in a single team that fights with honor and believes that the Palestinian dream cannot be broken.
And so, each match ends only for another to begin, and Gaza remains true to its promise – as long as the freedom fighter plays, Palestine will continue to resist, will continue to rise, and will never fall.
Featured image via the Canary
By Alaa Shamali
This post was originally published on Canary.