Gaza war overshadows football as Asian Cup looms for Palestine

JERUSALEM – Two weeks ahead of Palestine's opening game at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, the team is struggling to focus as war rages on in Gaza, where thousands have been killed.

Some players have lost loved ones in Israel's relentless bombardment of the besieged territory in response to Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel.

Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, including stadiums, in air and artillery strikes and a ground offensive, and football fields have been used as makeshift graves for some of the dead as many cemeteries are either full or inaccessible.

"Everyone is glued to the news, before and after training, be it on the bus or at the hotel," the team's coach, Makram Daboub, said from Saudi Arabia where the players were training.

Qatar hosts the 2023 Asian Cup from January 12 to February 10, and Palestine will play its opening game on January 14 against Iran.

The players have "a constant feeling of anxiety for their families", Daboub, a former Tunisia coach and player, said by telephone.

The Palestinian Football Association had celebrated in June last year when the national team won — for the third time — a spot in the Asian cup.

But with no end in sight to the Gaza war, the team now feels crushed as they try to prepare for the upcoming competition.

"We have physical, technical and tactical problems due to the suspension of the tournament... as well as psychological issues," said Daboub.

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, football matches in the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank have been suspended.

Many players are struggling, particularly those like Mahmoud Wadi and Mohammed Saleh who have family trapped in Gaza where their homes have been destroyed, said Daboub.

"They are suffering," he said.

Others have relatives who have had to flee relentless Israeli bombardment in the north of the territory and seek safety in the south, "where conditions are difficult", he added.

The UN says 85 percent of Gaza's population has been displaced and no area of the crowded territory was safe, as Israel has extended its offensive from north to south.

The October 7 attack was the worst in Israeli history, and the Gaza war it unleashed has