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'Our children have a right to play the popular game' - Displaced Gazans living in stadium refugee camp launch World Cup initiative

"From Deir al-Balah and the 'Martyr Mohammed Al-Durra Stadium', the torch of the 2026 World Cup Simulation Project was lit, in an effort to ease the burdens of war and displacement on local residents.
 Footage on Sunday shows the torch lighting ceremony, with children clapping and locals watching the event.
 Ahmed Abu Diab, a member of the Media Department for the World Cup Simulation Activities, revealed that the project was organised as a way of offering displaced residents some respite from the hardships of war. "The World Cup simulation will be launched from this place, as a symbol that displaced people have the right to put a smile on their faces. It is also because we will revive these stadiums and rehabilitate them so that they become beautiful and distinctive," he said. Organisers and participants noted how the ongoing crisis in the enclave stands in stark contrast to the atmosphere surrounding the previous World Cup in 2022. "Life used to be prosperous and very happy. Today, you are watching a World Cup, while sport used to be your life. Today, you are not even looking for sport as you did in 2022. Now, we can barely follow the results," said participant Karim Rayan. "We are in a very difficult situation, beyond our capacity. The war forced us to live in tents. Four years ago, people used to watch the World Cup […] but now, we live inside tents where we sleep and live, and years have passed with us in this situation," shared displaced resident Mohmoud Mohsen. 
 The '2026 World Cup Simulation Project' in the Gaza Strip is funded by the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) and implemented by Phoenix Logistics, Relief and Humanitarian Services Company. According to local reports, the project includes a series of sports, community, and cultural activities scheduled for the coming period, including sports matches, murals, and various community events, with the participation of local, Arab, and international figures. The initiative aims to help convey Gaza’s message to the world through sport.
 The war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October 2023, following attacks carried out by the movement that killed 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and resulted in the abduction of more than 200 others.

In response, the Israeli military launched a large-scale campaign in the Gaza Strip, including airstrikes and a ground offensive. As of the publication of this report, the campaign had resulted in the deaths of 72,971 Palestinians and injuries to 173,128 others. In January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of the second phase of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The plan includes a transition from a ceasefire to disarmament, the establishment of a technocratic administration, and the start of reconstruction efforts."