Gaza hosts amputee football tournament

Dozens of Palestinian amputees gathered in central Gaza for a soccer tournament that organizers say aims to nurture hope, revive sporting life and spotlight resilience after recent conflict. Held on a touchline strewn with prosthetic limbs and crutches, the championship brought together more than 50 adult players and a youth contingent of roughly 10–15 children of both genders, competing in adapted matches under rules of the World Amputee Football Federation that see players use crutches and play without prosthetics.

Many participants sustained limb losses during the latest war and earlier rounds of violence; Gaza health authorities reported thousands of amputation cases during the recent conflict, creating urgent long‑term rehabilitation needs. The tournament, organized by the Palestinian Amputee Football Association (PAFA) with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross, is part of a local league founded in 2019 that now includes over a hundred players and youth programmes for amputees as young as five. Coaches, referees and administrators received ICRC training to run and sustain the initiative.

Players and officials described the pitch as a space for physical and psychological healing. Survivors said joining the team restored purpose, social bonds and a sense of agency after traumatic injuries. Participants voiced ambitions to represent Palestine abroad and compete in international amputee championships, viewing sport as a pathway to reclaim normalcy and dignity and to demonstrate that athletes are active agents rebuilding their lives, not merely victims.

The tournament also serves as a public demonstration of resilience amid widespread destruction: many communities in Gaza continue to face damaged homes, schools and medical facilities, limited equipment and constrained mobility that hinder access to rehabilitation and international competition. Observers note the event shifts perception by foregrounding empowerment and community solidarity rather than only suffering.

Despite the symbolic strength of the competition, practical challenges persist. Organizers and players contend with scarcity of resources, war‑damaged infrastructure, fragile transport and healthcare systems, and restrictions that complicate travel for training and tournaments. Still, participants said the championship’s title — “Hope” — reflects a deliberate effort to cultivate optimism and revive sporting life incrementally, using football to unite amputee athletes and to project a message of endurance beyond Gaza’s battered landscape.