The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 6,000 amputees are in urgent need of rehabilitation programs; 25% are children and 12.7% are women.
by Sally Ibrahim, reposted from The New Arab, November 2025
In central Gaza, in Deir al-Balah, on a small grass pitch, Anas al-Mabhuh adjusted his crutch, bracing for the kick-off of the third day of the amputee football tournament, which began last Monday. This is the first sports event of its kind since the recent Israeli genocidal war.
Families, friends, and others lined up along the sidelines, cheering on athletes who had endured unimaginable loss and now sought to reclaim fragments of normalcy.
For many Palestinians within the devastated coastal enclave, whose daily lives are punctuated by destruction, trauma, and scarcity at the hands of Israel.
Dubbed as “Championship of Hope”, the tournament brought together around 50 adult players and 15 children from across Gaza, both male and female.
Shadi Abu Armana, the technical director and organiser, told The New Arab that “two years and a month after the genocide, the championship was launched to restore hope for amputees from recent or past conflicts.”
“This isn’t just a sporting event, it’s a message that Palestinians are resilient and determined to rebuild life,” he said.
The Palestinian Association, in collaboration with the Turkish Deniz Finer Foundation, organised the tournament for Amputee Athletes.
“This event sends a strong message that Palestinians can rise from the rubble. We love life and peace, and we oppose war,” Gharib Abu Ghalioun, head of the Palestinian Association for Amputee Athletes, told TNA.
“Gaza’s athletes missed out on participating in World Cup qualifiers in Indonesia due to siege and conflict, but through this tournament, we demonstrate that sporting and social life can recover,” he added.
Football is life
Anas, 29, is among 50 players, including children and women, determined to revive their sporting lives despite the heavy toll of war.
Once a champion judoka in the 70kg weight class, Anas had represented both the Palestinian national team and Shabab Jabalia club, claiming first place in 2016 and 2021.
The recent Israeli genocidal war left him with a devastating injury, destroyed his home, and ended his professional career. But his determination has not faltered.
“Connecting with fellow amputees sparked a renewed purpose,” Anas told The New Arab. “I used to train and compete every day, and suddenly everything stopped. I lost so many dreams and plans.”
“Seeing others who had gone through the same hardships made me realise life doesn’t end here. I dream of representing Palestine internationally, showing young people that losing a limb doesn’t mean losing hope,” he said.
“Even if you lose your legs or hands, you can still chase your goals. On this field, I prove to myself and the world that life continues, and determination can make the impossible possible,” Anas added.
The transition, however, was far from easy. “At first, I suffered from depression and trauma. I even wished I had been killed during the attack. I couldn’t accept life as it became. But later I realised that nothing can stop life, so I have to challenge it,” he explained.
Mohammed Ibrahim, another displaced player who lost his right leg during the war, described the tournament as a chance to reclaim what war had taken.
“Despite all the destruction, we insisted on participating to tell the world that hope survives […] Playing here isn’t just about football, it’s about regaining what war tried to take from us,” he told TNA.
“When I run on the pitch, I feel alive again. The pain I endured won’t define the end of my journey,” he said.
“This championship gives everyone who has lost something the courage to dream again and the energy to pursue it,” he added.
The first matches displayed remarkable skill and coordination. Using crutches as extensions of their bodies, Anas, Mohammed, and their teammates demonstrated balance, control, and agility, drawing applause from the crowd.
Rebuilding sports in Gaza
For a moment, the electric atmosphere mirrored Gaza‘s pre-siege life, when sport was a central thread of community. Children waved flags, parents clapped enthusiastically, and the weight of war seemed to lift, if only temporarily, according to Farah Mohammed, an 11-year-old girl who watched the match from her wheelchair.
“The event inspired me,” she told TNA, saying, “My dream is to travel abroad and play in tournaments. I want to prove that a child who becomes disabled can still succeed and shine.”
“Watching these matches makes me feel free, as if part of the dream I lost because of the war is coming back. Despite my injuries, I will persevere and grow stronger. Seeing these players run, laugh, and compete fills me with hope,” she added.
Gaza‘s sports community has suffered tremendous losses caused by Israel.
According to the Palestinian Football Association, the Israeli army killed approximately 668 athletes during the recent war, including 339 football players.
These deaths represent a profound setback for the development of sport in the territory and highlight the urgent need for initiatives that revive athletic life.
Before the latest conflict, Gaza hosted at least 55 sports facilities, 45 of which were dedicated to football, according to the Palestinian Football Association.
These venues had nurtured generations of athletes and hosted local and international competitions. Successive wars, however, left many structures destroyed or unusable, limiting youth engagement and hindering the revival of sports.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 6,000 amputees are in urgent need of rehabilitation programs, with 25 per cent of them children and 12.7 per cent women.
Limited access to prosthetics, therapy, and medical devices makes events like this tournament both therapeutic and socially empowering, reintegrating amputees into community life.
Sally Ibrahim is The New Arab’s correspondent from Gaza.
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