\u201cYou come to the stadium missing many of your teammates\u2026 killed, injured, or those who travelled for treatment. So the joy is incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t Four months after a ceasefire ended most fighting in Gaza \u2014 after a two-year war sparked by Hamas\u2019s October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre of some 1,200 people in southern Israel, and the abduction by the terror group of 251 hostages \u2014 there has been almost no reconstruction. Continued conflict between Israel and Hamas forced all residents out of nearly two-thirds of the strip, jamming more than two million people into a sliver of ruins along the coast, most in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.<\/p>\n The former site of Gaza City\u2019s 9,000-seat Yarmouk Stadium, which Israeli forces leveled during the war and used as a detention center, now houses displaced families in white tents, crowded in the brown dirt of what was once the pitch.<\/p>\n For this week\u2019s tournament, the Football Association managed to clear the rubble from a collapsed wall off a half-sized pitch, put up a fence and sweep the debris off the old artificial turf.<\/p>\n By coming out, the teams were \u201cdelivering a message\u201d, said Amjad Abu Awda, 31, a player for Beit Hanoun. \u201cThat no matter what happened in terms of destruction and genocidal war, we continue with playing, and with life. Life must continue.\u201d<\/p>\n Israel adamantly rejects accusations that it committed genocide in Gaza, saying it took measures to protect noncombatants while Hamas fought from among civilian populations.<\/p>\n Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
If so, we have a request.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.\u00a0<\/p>\n We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t
\t\t\t
\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260209__96QN8VQ__v3__HighRes__PalestinianIsraelConflictDailyLife-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tPalestinians watch a five-a-side football match amid the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City on February 9, 2026. (Omar A-Qattaa\/AFP)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIs accurate Israel coverage important to you?\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n