On the 24th January 2024, the Palestine national football team made history in Doha, Qatar as they beat Hong Kong 3-0 to qualify for the knockout stages of the AFC Asia Cup for the first time ever. 1,283 miles away in Gaza City, Mohammad Al-Sharif is dodging airstrikes and mourning his dead brother. The match is the furthest thing from his mind. Mohammad, and 2.1 million other Palestinians have been under bombardment in Gaza for 109 days, and the worst is yet to come.
Football was not always an afterthought for Mohammad. In fact, for most of his life, he thought of little else. That all changed on October 7th 2023. After breaking out of the Gaza strip, Hamas militants attacked Southern Israel, kicking off a new war in Gaza.
Since October 7th 2023, Palestinian civilians in both Gaza and the West Bank have faced brutal reprisals by Israeli forces. The indiscriminate bombings by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have caused outrage around the world, and the International Criminal Court have issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mohammad’s brother, Mahmoud, was killed by an airstrike in the first months of Israel’s war in Gaza. Since then, he has lost friends, neighbours and teammates. Like so many others in Gaza, it is not just loved ones that Mohammad has lost. His hopes and dreams have been obliterated, and the life he once lived is now a distant memory.
Mohammad tells me that the fields in which he once trained in the Nuseirat area of Gaza City have been destroyed by airstrikes or are used to host families whose homes have been destroyed. He once dreamed of representing Palestine on the international stage but airstrikes have badly damaged the Palestine International stadium in Gaza City and the IDF now uses it as a make-shift detention centre. Mohammad’s ambitions of becoming a professional footballer have been dashed in front of his very eyes.
For the majority in Gaza, survival is the only priority. Some might call him delusional, but Mohammad is still clinging to his dreams. “I try to train every day with some of my friends in the streets in a personal effort to maintain my physical fitness”. Although his determination is admirable, Mohammad is able to do little other than cardio drills. In truth, his efforts seem futile as every time he and his friends step out onto the rubble-filled streets, they are putting their lives at risk.
When I spoke to Mohammad about the dangers of being a Palestinian footballer, he told me, “Israel deliberately targets athletes and journalists to obliterate the Palestinian identity and prevent its voice from reaching the world”. This is no more evident than in the case of Mohammad Khalil, a former player for Al-Salah FC in the Gaza Strip.
Mohammad Khalil was attending a peaceful protest against the Israeli occupation close to the Gaza-Israel border when he was shot in the knee by an IDF sniper.
Footage of the incident from March 2018 shows Khalil recording himself at the protest when an IDF sniper appears in the background and fires a single shot, striking him in the knee. Khalil is immediately grounded and dragged to safety by other protestors.
Just 23 years old at the time of the shooting, Mohammad Khalil had his whole career ahead of him. Whilst his football playing days are over, he has received knee surgery, allowing him to walk again.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In 2014, 2 teenage Palestinians were returning home from a training session at Faisal al-Husseini Stadium in the West Bank. As they approached an Israeli military checkpoint, both boys were shot in their legs before being mauled by checkpoint dogs.
Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, 19, was shot 10 times in his legs and feet whilst Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya, 17, received a bullet in each foot. Neither has played competitive football since.
These shootings could be put down as plain old brutal treatment of Palestinians by the IDF; however, when you consider the fate of other Palestinian players, specifically those who have represented the national team, there seems to be a darker undertone.
Tariq Al-Quoto was killed by the IDF in 2004, Ayman Alkurd, Wajeh Moshtahe and Shadi Sbakhe were all killed in the 3 week long 2008-2009 Israel/Hamas conflict as well as coach and former player, Ahed Zaquot. Ziyad Al-Kord who was once 2nd in Palestine’s all-time top goalscorer list, had his house destroyed. Mahmoud Sarsak was detained in 2009 and accused of being a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, without any evidence to support this allegation. He was released 3 years later after international pressure from Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini.
There have also been attempts to stop the Palestine national team from competing entirely. In order to leave the West Bank and Gaza Strip territories, Palestinians must first obtain an exit visa. Israel is notoriously strict on who can receive these visas and has, on multiple occasions, denied exit visas for players representing the national team.
In October 2007, the second leg of a crucial 2010 World Cup qualifier against Singapore was cancelled due to the team’s inability to secure exit visas. Despite international protests, FIFA and the AFC decided not to reschedule the match, and Singapore were awarded a 3-0 victory and advanced to the next stage of qualification. In May 2008, Palestine were forced to withdraw from the AFC Challenge Cup entirely after Israel again withheld exit visas from the team.
Despite Israeli attempts to sabotage the Palestinian national team and the ongoing war in Gaza, Palestinian football is currently experiencing its most successful ever period. As previously mentioned, they reached the knockout stages for the first time in the 2024 AFC Asian Cup by collecting 4 points in a tough group that featured tournament hopefuls Iran. Although they would suffer a respectable 2-1 defeat to eventual winners Qatar in the next round, Palestine had made history and earned plaudits from fans and pundits worldwide.
Since their exploits at the AFC Asian Cup, they have continued their success in qualifying and are still in with a shout to reach the 2026 World Cup. The upturn in form hasn’t gone under the radar and has resulted in some big moves for their star players. Wessam Abou Ali signed for Al Ahly FC, one of the biggest clubs in Egypt, where he is currently involved in a tense title race. All-time top goal scorer, Oday Dabbagh, signed on loan to Aberdeen in January 2025. Dabbagh recently scored the goal that took them to the Scottish Cup final, where they will face Celtic for a chance at silverware.
While the on-the-pitch exploits of the Palestinian team are of little consequence to those in Gaza, they can take some solace in the off-the-pitch actions of football fans around the world. The “Show Israel The Red Card” campaign has become popular amongst football fans in Europe and has now spread to Asia and South America.
On the 12th Febuary 2025, Glasgow Celtic FC’s “Green Brigade” Ultras distributed red leaflets around their section which read “”At the start of the second half, please Show ‘Israel’ the Red Card to send a direct message to UEFA and FIFA to apply their respective statutes and suspend ‘Israel’ from competition”, the leaflet would go on to say “By doing so, you will not only be doing the right thing but you will be joining football fans of conscience and courage around the world who will be adopting the same message.”
The ”Red Cards” were held aloft beside a banner that read “Show Israel the Red Card”. The display by Celtic fans received plenty of backlash from Western media but what followed was a truly remarkable show of solidarity from football fans all over the world. Displays featuring the same message were organised by fans in over 30 different countries, including Italy, Spain, France, Malaysia, Brazil and Chile.
The campaign follows a trend by traditional left-wing clubs, notably Glasgow Celtic and PSG, who have supported the Palestinian cause since long before October 7th 2023. Fundraisers, Palestine flags and pro-Palestine banners have been a regular occurrence at both Celtic Park and the Parc des Princes since the early 2000s.
“We have come to love them and feel like we belong to them especially since the wider football community has ignored what is happening to footballers in Gaza, PSG and Celtic have become the clubs closest to my heart” said Mohammad of the clubs from Paris and Glasgow.
Now, if this was a fairytale, the next point to make would be how the success of Palestinian footballers and the solidarity shown by fans is acting as a “beacon of hope” for Palestinians under bombardment in Gaza. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Netanyahu has recently vowed to “take control” of the Gaza Strip, whilst his finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has stated that the IDF will “wipe out” what remains of Palestinian Gaza.
At this stage, it does not matter how many football fans voice their outrage. Palestinians are still dying by the hundreds every week as Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign continues with no end in sight. Israel has this week partially lifted its 11-week-long blockade preventing humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians. They will allow 5 of the estimated 8,900 lorry loads piled up at the crossings to enter Gaza—little consolation for the 57 people who have already died from starvation.
The situation is dire. “Food has run out in my city, we currently eat only 1 meal a day and we only eat canned food such as beans, peas and fava beans. There is no flour.” says Mohammad. Electricity and water are also being withheld by the Israelis, who control around 80% of all of Gaza’s supply for both.
As Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials continue to promise the destruction of Gaza, time is running out for Mohammad and the Palestinians trapped there. What little hope there is left fades every day as world leaders continue to remain idle while Palestinians die by the thousands.
An often overlooked aspect of genocide is that it is not just the death of a people, it’s the death of a culture, the death of a voice. Who knows how many will be left standing in Gaza once Israel is finished with it? An entire generation’s hopes and dreams evaporated overnight. Those who survive will have to live with the trauma of experiencing a genocide first-hand. How are they supposed to return to normal life? How will Mohammad return to his football career? How will the Palestinian voice be heard?
By Conall Ridge 22.05.2025
The Underground 
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