Sixteen-year-old Mohammed Eyad Azzam says he was a 'pampered' child before an Israeli air attack in Gaza killed his immediate family, leaving him as the sole provider for his elderly grandmother.
Mohammed was at home on the morning of October 11, 2024, with his parents and siblings in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, when without warning an Israeli warplane struck, bringing his family's multistorey building down on top of them. He was buried under rubble for about 10 minutes before his grandmother dug him out.
Relentless Israeli bombing meant Mohammed was unable to give his parents and two brothers a proper funeral at a cemetery, so instead he buried them in a small, makeshift plot. He now lives among thousands of displaced in Shati refugee camp, spending his days lighting fires and carrying heavy water containers for his grandmother.
Before the war, Mohammed was a promising player for the Khadamat Jabalia football club. However, following Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the club no longer functioned, pitches were destroyed, and many of his former teammates were killed. Yet, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) recently organized a tournament for players born in 2009.
For Mohammed, lacing up his boots is one of the few ways he can fend off despair. 'It removes the boredom and releases our negative energy,' he explained. 'Most of my teammates have their brothers and fathers there to motivate them. I have no one to cheer for me now.'
According to the PFA, the Israeli offensive has killed 1,113 people affiliated with the sports sector, including more than 560 football players, coaches and administrators. Additionally, 265 sports facilities have been destroyed or damaged, and all 56 football clubs in Gaza have been severely affected.
The PFA is now organizing youth tournaments on just three small pitches that remain. Mohammed walks 3-4km through tents and rubble to reach the pitch. 'It drains you psychologically before you even step onto the field,' he said.
Mustafa Siyam, head of the PFA's media department, criticized FIFA for inaction, highlighting double standards: FIFA swiftly suspended Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine but took no action against Israel. The PFA is now seeking justice via international sports tribunals.
Mohammed dreams of becoming a professional football player. 'My dream now is to become a famous, professional football player,' the 16-year-old said softly. 'Because that was my dream, and it was the dream of my mother and my father, may God have mercy on them.'
Source: www.aljazeera.com